Till Next We Meet
by ArtsyChick
Summary: Two men compete in a race against time to discover where four lovely princesses disappear in the night. The prize: one lovely princess bride.
1. A Proclamation

**A/N: **Casually flipping through a book of fairy tales one day, I came across one that practically _screamed _'The Cat Returns.' I currently have about half the story written up, so updates will be steady for a while and then may become sporadic. We shall see. I'll give a cookie to those who can guess which fairy tale it's based on (not really; I'd break my computer if I tried to shove a cookie through the screen :D). This chapter is basically to 'set the scene,' as the saying goes. Trust me, chapter 2 gets better. Enjoy!

* * *

Ryoko held up another slipper and frowned. Like all the rest it was tattered and torn, and he was surprised it was still stitched together. Really, it was rather pathetic; he'd thought the royal shoemaker had learned by now.

Sighing, he tossed it over his shoulder to join the growing pile of worn-out slippers and reached for another. It, like all the rest, was shredded almost beyond recognition, and it too joined the others.

He sighed again and rested his stubbly chin in his hand, his elaborate headpiece sliding forward onto his forehead. After a moment of reflection, he summoned his assistant.

"Yes Your Majesty?" the older gentleman with the thinning silver hair asked politely as he bowed low to his emperor.

Ryoko bit his lip and shifted his head to the other hand. "Kenji-san, what am I doing wrong as a parent?"

The older gentleman shook his head vehemently. "N-nothing Your Majesty! You're a wonderful father!"

Ryoko sighed. "My daughters are sneaking out, Kenji-san. I even have proof." He dug a ragged pink shoe out of the pile and waved it for his assistant to see. "What on earth could those girls be doing so that their shoes end up like _this_?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty…"

"I mean, what am I doing wrong?" He shook his head, the headpiece rocking precariously with the motion. "They sneak out at night, then they lie about it. You've seen them in the morning. They're all exhausted, yet they say they got a full night's sleep. I don't get it." Flopping back into his throne, he exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples. "Even Harumi-chan's turned against me. And Harumi-chan can't lie worth anything."

"Perhaps a punishment Your Majesty?" Kenji suggested timidly.

Ryoko shook his head again. "I can't do that," he replied sadly. "I don't have enough evidence to prove anything." He paused as an idea began to form in his head. "But, if I _did_ have evidence, then…" The emperor fell into silence as he pondered the thought. It _could_ work, if executed properly. At the very least it might frighten his daughters into confessing.

"Kenji-san, get out your pad!" Ryoko commanded, sitting up straighter and looking more regal than he had in days. "I would like to arrange a… _contest_, if you will."

Kenji clicked a pen and positioned it above his clipboard. "What kind of contest?" he asked.

"A peculiar one, to be certain. I want word sent out that any man who can figure out what my daughters are doing to put their slippers," he held up the pink one as an example, "in such a state will be awarded a princess of his choosing for a bride."

Kenji's pen faltered. "You can't possibly be thinking of _selling_ your daughters, Your Majesty," Kenji said, horrified as visions of pretty girls in shackles and last season's dresses trudged through his imagination. "There are easier ways of discovering—"

"I'm not _selling_ my daughters!" Ryoko snapped. Several people strolling through the hall glanced up, looking disturbed, and he lowered his voice. "I'm not _really_ going to allow them to marry some schmuck off the street," he hissed. "I'm hoping the _possibility_ of marrying some schmuck off the street will convince them to tell me the truth." He frowned. "I'm not running a dating service here, Kenji-san," he said darkly. "I just want the truth."

"Yes Your Majesty," Kenji said quietly, scribbling on his clipboard.

Ryoko leaned back. "The men will have five days to solve the mystery. Further details will be released to contestants only. How soon can you get word out?"

"As soon as you like, Your Majesty."

He rubbed his chin. "I was thinking tomorrow. I want those girls to be _very_ afraid. After all," he smiled wickedly, "there's a chance they could be marrying a pig farmer in a week."

"Are you sure about this Your Majesty?" Kenji asked quietly, tucking his clipboard beneath his arm. "The princesses won't approve of you offering their hands without their consent."

Ryoko arched a dark eyebrow. "Perhaps they should've considered that before lying to their father." Tilting his headpiece back, shoving up the long sleeves of his robe, and cocking his head, he eyed his assistant. "Now go announce the plan to the kingdom. Dismissed."

And so, it was declared that any man who could figure out where the four lovely daughters of the emperor Ryoko were doing to result in their dancing slippers reverting to bits of colorful fabric in five days would be allowed to pick a princess of his choosing and marry her.

A crow perched in a tree near the drawbridge of the castle cocked his head as he listened intently to the announcement. Several hours later, four shrill screams rang out from within the palace walls, and the crow sighed.

"And so, it has begun."

=^^=) - cat.


	2. A Soldier

Somewhere in the midst of the kingdom of Athia, a young man with straw-colored hair sat beneath a tree and unwrapped a cloth bundle. He shoved a chunk of hair away from his eyes as he revealed the contents of the bundle: a hunk of cheese and a small loaf of bread. It wasn't much, but the man had lived on less and was thankful he had this much.

The sun shone brightly between the leaves, making it seem as if the man's hair was interwoven with gold thread as it glowed in the light. Eyes the same shade of green as the leaves above gazed at the bits of food intently as he broke off a piece of the bread and popped it into his mouth. It was a bit dry and would've tasted better with some butter, but it was better than nothing.

As he chewed, he reached down and rubbed his left thigh. It tingled painfully at the touch, and he winced as he noticed the fabric of his trousers was beginning to stick to the skin. That meant he would have to undress, _again_, and attend to the matter before his pants became an extension of his leg.

He leaned back against the trunk and sighed, gazing up at the clouds between the branches. They all looked like pieces of cotton to him, which did anything _but _relieve the pain in his leg.

Bored with the activity, he turned his attention to the road and was surprised to see someone walking down the dirt path toward him. He leaned forward, straining to get a better look, but the person's face was completely shrouded by a teal hood. Once the figure came closer he decided, from the gait and the length of the stride, it was a woman.

Now within hearing distance, he leaned forward and called out to the person. "Excuse me?" The figure paused and turned toward him, and the fact that he couldn't see the face of the person he was addressing was a bit unnerving. "Are you all right?"

"Why do you ask?" the figure, _definitely_ a woman, asked.

He straightened, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's midday, it's hot out, and you're fully clothed in a dark cloak. Surely there's a reason."

"You're quite observant, sir. Yes I'm fine. Terribly hungry though."

He didn't hesitate, pointedly ignoring the empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Would you like some of my lunch then? I would be happy to share."

"Really?" the woman asked. "You don't have to…"

"But I want to." The man reached out to her, as he couldn't stand up to properly greet his guest. "Please, have a seat."

After several moments of hesitation, the woman slipped her slender fingers into his and stepped over to the tree, carefully tucking her cloak beneath her bottom and sitting down on the grass beside him. He smiled, broke the bread and cheese in half, hers slightly bigger than his, and offered them to the woman. She took the food and set it in her lap as she flipped the hood of her cloak back. The man's breath caught in his throat before he regained his composure and calmly observed his companion.

The woman had light brown hair, some sweeping in front of her right eye, most of it tied back in a messy ponytail with a red satin ribbon. Deep brown eyes blinked several times as she chewed her bread, then several more as she caught him staring. "Something on my face?" she inquired, arching an eyebrow.

The man shook his head and looked up at the leaves. The woman stared at his profile for a moment before returning her attention to her food. This only lasted a minute or two when she gasped, and the man looked back at her again. She was gazing at his leg, a look of horror upon her face. "Oh my gosh, you're hurt!" she cried, covering her mouth as her dark eyes flicked to his.

The man looked down, saw the red seeping out from a singular point on his leg, and winced. "Yes, it appears so," he mumbled, his eyelids fluttering shut, the pain suddenly skyrocketing.

They flew back open when he felt the fabric of his trousers peeling away from his skin, and he saw the woman carefully slicing the cloth with a knife she had magically produced. When she revealed his wound, she hissed as she pressed her cool fingers to his bare skin, and he gasped. He glanced over at his hand as she interlocked her fingers with his.

"Squeeze as hard as you like," she murmured, flexing the fingers of her other hand. "This is gonna hurt you more than it will me." As she spoke, glowing green tendrils appeared at the ends of her fingers, and she twirled them in the air a moment before leaning toward his wound.

"Are you… a witch?" he asked softly.

"I am," she replied, screwing up her eyes in concentration. "To get your mind off the inevitable pain, why don't you tell me about yourself? Let's start with your name."

"Baron." He clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the woman's hand.

"Is Baron a name or a title?"

"Both, actually... my first is rather awkward... I have gone by my title since I was very young."

"Ah." A skinny tendril probed the bleeding hole in his leg. "That's a very Westernized name. You're not from here, are you?"

The man resisted the urge to yelp as the tendril plunged into his wound. It stung like a thousand bees stinging the same spot over and over and over, and he dug his nails into the back of her hand. "Sunder," he gasped hoarsely.

"I see. And how does a Sunderese noble wind up in the quaint country of Athia?"

"I joined the army... when I was twenty-one," he said. "I'm sure you know… Sunder and Bodair were always... at odds with each other."

"Of course."

"I was immediately... shipped off to Bodair to fight. After six years... of butchering each other... Bodair surrendered. I had no home... or family to return to, so I began wandering... through Athia."

"What happened to your family?" she asked gently.

His leg tingled painfully and his eyes began to shimmer, though it really wasn't because of his injury. "Murdered... while I was away. My mother and father... and younger brother. Sebastian... was five years my junior."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Because the Bodarian King... hated my father's guts."

The woman looked up and the sorrow in Baron's eyes was reflected in hers. "Dear God… that's bloody awful." She shook her head mournfully. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's not your fault."

"There's a piece of an arrowhead stuck in your leg," she said softly, in an effort to distract him. "It's embedded deep in the muscle, but I can pull it out and then get started on the healing process."

"I thank you my lady," Baron said quietly.

"You're lucky I found you, else your leg might have had to be amputated." She curled her fingers and he felt as if a weight had been removed from his thigh, and this had the remarkable effect of lifting his spirits. After another moment, she was holding the tip of an arrow in the palm of her hand.

"Where did you get this anyway?" she asked, gesturing at his leg with the glowing tendril, which had transformed into a fatter, violet strand. "It's too new to have happened during the war."

"Ah, yes. _That_ was attained during a highway robbery. I was walking alongside the road when a carriage brushed by me. Some minutes later, a lady cried out—turned out a gang of thieves were hiding in the trees, and when the carriage passed it was ambushed. I rushed in and just managed to defeat the rascals, but an arrow went through my leg somewhere in between. I hadn't realized how serious the wound was until I could hardly walk."

"You poor dear," she cooed. "I hope you were thanked for your trouble."

"I was," he answered. "The young couple inside offered to pay me, but I refused. They should never have been attacked—I was just doing the right thing."

"And you did it again when you offered me a larger portion of your meager lunch," she added, glancing up at his face. "Oh, don't play innocent. I saw you sneak me the larger halves."

He grinned sheepishly. "I was only trying to be a gentleman."

"Which there aren't enough of anymore, although there should be. There." She dusted her hands together with finality and patted his leg. "All done."

Baron glanced down and was surprised to see there was no sign he had been wounded at all; not even a scar gleamed on his skin. All that remained as evidence was the blood-soaked fabric of his trousers.

"That's amazing," he mumbled, bending his leg at the knee with much more ease than he had in several days. "It's like I was never injured at all."

The woman smiled coquettishly. "I try. Oh, but I'd keep your weight off of it for a few days. Here." She leaned over and plucked a twig out of the grass, then closed her eyes and mumbled a few words under her breath. As he watched, the twig briefly glowed orange, then began to stretch and grow until the woman was holding a long, elegant cane. Her smile widened as she handed it to him. "This should help."

"Wow. You are _very_ talented."

"I know. So what will you do now?"

"I was thinking of making for the capital, perhaps settle down. I'm afraid I won't survive many more 'heroic acts.'"

"Have you heard about the contest?"

He eyed her out of the corner of his eye. "What contest?"

"The contest the emperor arranged," she said. "I'm heading that way," she added offhandedly, glancing at her nails which were painted a shocking red. "I could explain it to you if you'd walk with me."

Baron tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know..."

"It's not like you have anything to lose."

He arched a brow. "I suppose that's true."

"Come on." She stood up and stuck out her hand. "I'd like the company anyway."

After another moment of thought, he gripped her wrist and she pulled him to his feet. "All right, I'll join you."

After all, this mysterious woman was right: what _did_ he have to lose?

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **Her name is _not _Belinda, by the way. I'm more creative than that.


	3. A Princess

"Louise-chan, would you hand me that ribbon please?"

A young woman with flaxen hair picked up a blue ribbon and handed it to another young woman, this one with white-blonde tresses.

"Can you hand me that hairbrush Yuki-chan?"

The white-blonde lifted a silver hairbrush from the vanity and held it out to a third woman with reddish hair.

"Hiromi-chan, hand me one of those bobby pins please."

The redhead took a bobby pin from between her lips and dropped it in the palm of the fourth young woman, a girl with dark hair.

"Haru-chan, I need my foundation. Can you pass it over?"

The dark-haired girl picked up a little round container and handed it over to the flaxen-haired woman. The four sisters sighed in unison as they continued primping in their individual mirrors.

"I can't believe what Father's done to us," Louise, the one with flaxen hair, grumbled, dipping a little brush in the ivory powder to dust her elegant cheekbones. "Imagine, leaving us in the hands of Fate, and promising our hands to some _stranger_."

"Don't be so dramatic. You're only saying that because you _like_ being single," the redhead, Hiromi, said mischievously, her amber eyes glinting. "We _all_ know anyone who could figure it out would pick _you_ for a wife."

Louise elbowed her as the others giggled.

"I don't care who marries me," the fourth sister, dark-haired Haru, remarked, tucking the slender pins into her hair, "as long as it's not Machida."

All four girls shuddered collectively at the thought of any of them marrying the pompous, arrogant prince.

"I mean, why did he have to take an interest in _me_?" Haru continued. "He's so… _ugh_." She shook her head, unable to quite put into words how awful the prince was—'ugh' summed up his personality well. "I can barely stand being in his presence for longer than two minutes. How's it going to be for the rest of my _life_?"

"Maybe she could scare him off with her dancing skills," Hiromi whispered behind her hand, just loud enough for the other three sisters to hear.

Haru's cheeks turned a brilliant red. "That's not funny Hiromi-chan! You _know_ I hate dancing!"

"No one would expect you to like it, what with you being so awful at it," Louise stated practically, spraying flowery perfume on her neck. Hiromi laughed.

Haru sighed. "Those instructors just make it so _hard_," she grumbled. "If they wouldn't make it so darn difficult, maybe I _could_ dance."

"I think you're looking at it wrong," Yuki said, leaning over and wrapping her slender arms around her sister's shoulders. "Maybe it's not the instructor's fault."

"Are you implying it's _my_ fault?" Haru questioned accusingly, glaring at their reflections in the mirror.

"No," Yuki said slowly. "If you'd let me finish, I was going to say that maybe it's because you've never had the right partner."

Haru bit her lip. "Maybe…"

Their brief bonding moment was cut short as a maid opened the door and told the four sisters their father wished an audience.

Louise went out the door first, her pastel pink robe hugging all the feminine curves of her body and her flaxen hair gracefully curling down her back. Next came Yuki, her white-blonde locks coiled in an elegant knot on top of her head and her cerulean kimono twirling between her slender legs. Hiromi followed, careful not to trip on the hem of her butter-yellow kimono.

Finally came Haru, the youngest and the plainest sister, grudgingly lifting her violet skirt up and obediently following. She hoped her father was going to lecture them. Lectures were always dreadfully, insanely long, but today she wouldn't have minded. The longer the emperor wished to speak to them, the longer she could avoid her dancing instructor.

And _that_, she thought resentfully, was just a teeny bit worse than being submitted to Prince Machida's obnoxious presence.

The four girls were escorted into an elaborate throne room, complete with bronze busts of previous rulers and their wives and velvet draped from the ceiling, forming complex and intricate folds. They curtsied before their father, who sat slouched in his throne with his heavy headpiece sliding forward onto his brow.

"Girls," he said sternly, frowning at them.

"Yes, Father?" they asked in unison—the princesses were very well trained.

"Are you ready to confess?"

"Confess to what Father?" Louise inquired innocently.

He narrowed his eyes. "You know what."

"Know what?" Hiromi piped in.

"What?"

"Exactly," Louise said.

The emperor felt his face go red. "Stop that! Are you going to confess to sneaking out at night or not?"

"Father," Yuki began, "there's nothing to confess. If there was, we would tell you."

The emperor sighed in frustration. "Fine. You're dismissed. Get to your lessons. Oh, and Harumi-chan?"

Haru, who had been trying to sneak away quietly, stopped abruptly at the call of her full name and slowly turned to face him. "Yes Father?"

"I want you to _actually_ go to your dance lesson today. Those lessons are expensive, and I don't want you wasting the instructor's time. Again."

The young princess resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes Father."

He waved his hand. "Dismissed."

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **I used YarningChick's characterization of Machida.


	4. A Witch

"By the way," Baron began, hobbling along on his new cane, "I forgot to ask—"

"Unbearable pain can do that to you."

"—what is your name?"

"Oh!" The woman clapped a hand to her mouth in surprise. "Right, I _completely_ forgot to introduce myself."

"Saving a man's limb can do that to you."

"It's very nice to meet you, Baron," the woman said, extending her slender hand. "My name is Evangeline."

Baron paused to take her hand, then bowed low and kissed the back of it. "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Evangeline."

Evangeline blushed. "Oh, stop. You're embarrassing me!"

"If I may ask," he said as they began to walk again, "how did _you_ end up in Athia? 'Evangeline' is as Westernized as my name, and your accent certainly does not blend in."

Evangeline stuffed her hands in the pockets of her cloak. "My mother was Sunderese, my father Athian. My mother died during childbirth and my father died soon after, rescuing a child from being hit by a mad carriage."

"So you grew up an orphan?"

"Yeah. But don't feel bad Baron!" she added quickly when his face fell. "They died when I was little! I didn't know them enough to miss them."

"Well, what did you do then?"

"Became a wanderer, moving from village to village. I taught myself magic and I _had_ a pet... Now, _where_ has he got off to?" The last phrase was mostly spoken to herself as she glanced around the trees. "Hold on a moment." Evangeline dug around in her pocket a moment before she pulled out a little gold tube; a whistle. Pressing it to her lips, she played a short tune, which was almost immediately followed by a loud cawing.

"There he is," she said happily, clapping her hands together. Baron looked up and watched as a large, black crow swooped out of the sky to land lightly on Evangeline's outstretched wrist. "_This_ is Toto," she explained, smoothing down his head feathers with the back of her finger. "I rescued him from a hungry cat when he was just a baby. He's been my only companion all these years."

"I know it's rude to ask a woman her age, but... how many years _is_ that, exactly? Being a witch, you are capable of slowing down the aging process considerably, yes?"

Evangeline looked up at the sky and counted on her fingers. "Oh, I'd say I've been around about... a hundred and nineteen years." Toto cawed. "Sorry. A hundred and twenty years."

"_One hundred and twenty years_?" Baron choked out. Then he forced a weak grin. "You look very good for your age."

She grinned. "Thank you. I moisturize."

He nodded, suspecting it was a lot more than that. "So, tell me more about this contest. I should like to know what I'm getting myself into before I get into it."

"Well, the emperor has four daughters: Louise, Yuki, Hiromi, and Harumi. Every night he makes sure his daughters are in the bedroom the four of them share, but every morning he finds their dancing slippers torn to shreds."

"Shreds?"

"Basically having reverted to their original states of fabric, lace, and a sole. So he's arranged this contest for any and all men who are willing to try and solve the mystery."

Baron nodded in understanding. "I see. Is the emperor offering a prize?"

Evangeline frowned. "Yes. One of his daughter's hands in marriage."

"The emperor is going to _give away_ one of daughters?"

"Yep."

"Well, that's just despicable!" he said angrily. "The princesses are human beings, not _animals_! How can a father treat his daughters that way? No one deserves to be _sold off_ like livestock."

"I like the way you think Baron," Evangeline said, throwing an arm through his elbow. "I'm sure you'll have this little mystery unraveled in no time."

=^^=)

Several hours later they arrived on the outskirts of the city. It was easy to recognize the capital, Evangeline said, because from a distance the city appeared to be made of gold—the emperor was a little extravagant. That, and the gilded white palace in the center was also a hint.

"Well, my work here is done," she said as they stood outside the enormous, wrought iron gates leading to the palace. "Not much more I can do now."

"I appreciate all you've done for me," he said. "First healing me then escorting me here..."

"And I'm not done yet." Fiddling with the button at her collar, she pulled off her cloak, folded it up into a messy square, and handed it to him. "This cloak," she explained in a hushed voice, "will allow you to take on any disguise you please. All you have to do is say your chosen outfit aloud and snap your fingers twice. It can even make you _invisible_."

She then clucked her tongue at Toto, who quietly cawed, tugged on a loose strand of hair affectionately, then fluttered over and landed on Baron's shoulder. "I also want you to take Toto," she said. "Anything you can't handle on your own, Toto will be able to provide assistance. He's got a few tricks beneath his wing, so..."

"Thank you Evangeline," Baron said graciously. "But why are you doing this?"

She shrugged. "Because you're a gentleman. You shared your lunch with me and you didn't have to. I appreciate kindness and generosity, so I believe you deserve this." She winked at him. "Everyone deserves a chance at a happy ending Baron. Even_ you_."

"Is there something I can do to repay you? Money, or..."

"Just promise me you won't be so _down_." Reaching up, she pinched his cheeks and crooned, "A face like that is too pretty to be frowning all the time." Baron's cheeks pinked and she let go. "Honestly, I don't want anything in return. If I did, I would have already taken it from you."

Tightening his grip on the strap of his bag, he leaned down and pressed his lips in a chaste kiss to Evangeline's cheek. "Thank you," he murmured, and he turned to walk away.

She shrugged, which he had come to think of as characteristic of her, though her cheeks had flushed. "Good luck!"

She waved and he gave her a friendly salute. He then fingered his new cane, shifting the bag on one shoulder and nodding to the crow on the other, took a deep breath, and strode toward the gate.

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **See? Her name's _not_ Belinda. But will Baron ever see her again? Eh, who knows? Oh, wait... _I _should know that, huh? (ignore my attempt at humor, please)


	5. A Meeting

Eh, I don't feel like waiting. Enjoy!

* * *

Baron fingered his new cane, shifting the bag on one shoulder and nodding to the crow on the other, took a deep breath, and strode toward the gate. Two swords cut him off ten feet from it.

"What is your business here, sir?" one of the guards stationed at the gate asked.

Baron swallowed and leaned more on his cane. "I'm here about the emperor's contest," he said, disguising his voice so as not to reflect his nervousness. "About discovering where the four princesses go at night."

"Very well. Step through." The swords parted and the gate opened, and Baron cautiously stepped through, expecting an ambush at any moment.

More guards stood behind the gate, and they rifled through his bag and patted him down; Baron had no choice but to stand there awkwardly and be patted. Once he'd suffered through embarrassment on a variety of levels, he was permitted to enter the palace.

The palace was even more impressive inside than it was out, and he was only in the front hall. Marble columns stood erect, merely for decoration, and there was cream-colored silk draped in the gilded windows. The floor was also made of marble, with an elegant red carpet on which he was walking. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two enormous spiral staircases originating from an upper floor, tall leafy ferns graced every corner, and every hallway that branched off from the main one he was in was framed by red velvet curtains.

As he was strolling through the main hall, in awe with the sheer expensiveness of it all—the house he grew up in was never so fancy—he wondered how anyone, even a emperor, could afford so many nice things.

Once he'd passed through the main entrance, Toto the crow met his gaze once before fluttering off to land on a statue coming off one of the columns to preen. Baron prayed the crow wouldn't be seen; he didn't want to get kicked out of the palace until he'd at least _met_ the emperor.

Somewhere in the castle someone was shouting. Actually, many someones. Footsteps echoed all around him, and Baron was a little disoriented because he couldn't figure out where the sounds were coming from. Peeking around one set of curtains, he... didn't see anything. Then he was being hit from behind and crashing to the marble floor he was so recently admiring.

When Baron opened his eyes, he was gazing into the bright brown orbs of the young woman sprawled across him. He blinked, then blinked again, then heat began to rise in his cheeks and he had to look away from her face.

The voices began to grow louder and more frantic, and suddenly Baron was being dragged to his feet and into a dark little corner behind one of the spiral staircases. The brown-eyed girl pressed a dainty hand over his mouth and clutched his shoulder as they crouched in the shadows, and Baron's heart pounded in his ears.

"Sorry about this," the young woman murmured, her breath ghosting past his face as she leaned a little closer to him. Baron nodded dumbly.

The voices seemed as if they were upon them now, and the girl clung to Baron tightly.

"Where is she?" someone shouted.

"I don't know," another person answered. "She was here a minute ago."

"I think she went down this hallway," a third person said. There were some protests and some consents, but finally the group agreed with the third person and they took off down one of the curtained hallways, their footsteps fading until even his breathing seemed impossibly loud.

Once it was dead silent in the hall, the young woman pulled her hand off his mouth and smiled. "Thanks for not ratting me out," she said.

Baron nodded. "Any time," he croaked.

"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"My name is Baron. I'm here for the emperor's contest."

For a moment it looked as if a hint of disgust had crept into her kind brown eyes, but it was so fleeting Baron couldn't be sure it had happened, so he pretended like it didn't. "Oh," she said flatly. "Just out of curiosity, which princess were you planning on marrying?"

"None of them." She frowned. "Not that I wouldn't want to or anything!" he added quickly. "I wasn't going to marry them because I didn't want to force them to do something they didn't want to do. That's all."

"Oh. Well, then..." the smile returned, "that's sweet. The princesses would appreciate that; all the men who have come here have been real jerks."

Baron gulped. "Well, I don't _think_ I'm a jerk. It's just... not fair to them... don't you... think..." Those eyes were mesmerizing, and he couldn't look away from them. Nor, apparently, could he continue a train of thought much longer than a few words or so.

The girl broke their gaze when she looked up and tilted her head. "Well," she said, "thanks for helping me out. I better go before they find me. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." She bowed her head slightly.

He gulped, then shrugged. "Sure," he murmured.

The young woman inched away from him and started to rise, but he was already standing—his manners finally kicking in—and he offered her his hand, helping her up the rest of the way.

"Thanks," she said quietly, tucking some loose strands behind her ear, her cheeks tinged pink.

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Curtsying once before him, she dashed off and up one of the spiral staircases in the enormous hall, disappearing in a flurry of purple skirts and brown hair around a corner.

While he stood there gawking at the place she had been, he was startled when someone shouted to him. Turning, he saw an older man with thinning silver hair and a hawklike nose scurrying toward him, his green robe—simple in design but of a very expensive fabric—swirling around his legs.

"You!" he cried out again. "You, who are you? Did I hire you from the village?"

"Uh, no..."

"Come with me," the man ordered, sweeping past Baron.

Baron fell in step beside the older man as he darted down hallways that looked all the same to him.

"Who are you then?" the man asked sternly, scribbling something on his clipboard.

"I am Baron Hum..."

"Never mind, I don't care. Why are you here?"

"For the emperor's contest."

The man actually paused and glanced over at his face. "You're a little... um... _poor_, aren't you?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'll admit I'm not properly dressed, but..."

The man waved his hand. "No matter. I'll make sure new clothes are sent to your room. You'll want an audience with His Majesty, no doubt? Rhetorical question lad, don't answer. You may be in luck." The man glanced down at his clipboard, flipping up a page and tapping it with the point of his pen. "His Majesty cleared his schedule today to await the arrival of another contestant hopeful, so he should be able to see you to explain the rules."

He glanced over at Baron again. "Are you from Sunder, boy?"

The blonde soldier decided not to correct the elderly man with the nickname he probably gave to anyone younger than him. At twenty-seven, he was a little old for the nickname. "Yes sir, I am."

"Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Alexander von Gikkingen? He's a baron there. Except for the hair of course; the baron had black hair while his wife Cornelia was as golden-haired as Princess Louise. The baron had two sons too, though I don't remember their names. I don't think I ever met them either, too little to journey this far I suppose. I know the elder's was very unusual, even by Sunderese standards. Anyway," he smiled up at Baron and patted him on the arm, "you look just like him."

Baron forced a very convincing, though fake, smile. "You don't say," he responded, feigning interest.

The conversation ended abruptly as they approached a thick, velvet curtain, and the man held up his hand, a gesture for Baron to stop, before disappearing through the curtain. Hushed tones drifted out from behind it, but the curtain succeeded in muffling the words. After a few minutes, the man returned. "His Majesty will see you now," he said as he simultaneously shoved Baron through the curtain.

=^^=) - cat.


	6. A Discussion

Baron was shoved into the elegant throne room, complete with bronze busts of previous rulers and their wives and velvet draped from the ceiling, forming complex and intricate folds. Wincing at the instant discomfort shooting up his leg from having thrown all his weight to it unexpectedly, his jade eyes fell upon a middle-aged man with dark brown hair shot through with gray, a large, unusual headpiece sliding forward onto his brow. He immediately straightened at Baron's unorthodox entrance, his dark eyes alight with surprise.

Realizing he was suddenly thrust into the emperor's presence, he dropped to his good knee and bowed his head. "Your Majesty," he said respectfully, gazing at the floor, shiny enough to provide a reflection. He made a mental note to shave the first chance he got—he was starting to resemble one of those thieves he'd encountered.

"Stand up, my good man," the emperor commanded, and Baron rose to his feet, leaning on his cane for support.

_For a guy who's selling off his daughters_, he thought, eyeing the genially grinning monarch beckoning him to approach, _he seems like a decent fellow_.

"My assistant informed me you are here for my contest, yes?" the emperor asked as Baron stepped forward.

He dipped his head again. "Indeed, Your Majesty."

"Are you from Sunder, by any chance?"

"Yes Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded. "I thought so. I recognized the accent of course, but there's something else about you…" He waved his hand dismissively. "You just look like someone I know from there. Never mind. What's your name?"

"I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, Your Majesty." His head dropped again, though this time it wasn't out of propriety.

The enthusiastic grin on the emperor's face faded very quickly. "Oh…" he murmured. "You're Alexander's son, then?"

"Yes Your Majesty."

Genuine pain flickered briefly across his face before he controlled his features and resumed his regal air, although the glimmer in his eyes could not hide it completely. "I heard what happened to… to… I'm sorry."

"Unless you were the one who ordered their deaths without warning or even a valid reason," Baron remarked bitterly, "then you have nothing to be sorry for."

The tension was so thick in the room Baron could've cut it with his sword; that is, if he hadn't already pawned his sword to afford food and a new pair of trousers. The emperor cleared his throat, idly drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne, then straightened again.

"Well," he began, "best not to dwell on the past, right? If you could, um, wait a few minutes for the other man who's supposed to partake in the contest this week to arrive, I'll explain the rules to both of you."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." He lifted his head and eyed the monarch, who was anxiously chewing on his lip. Funny, he'd seen the young woman who had crashed into him earlier do the same thing… "Is there something you wish to say, Your Majesty?"

"The, uh, _other _contestant… Well, I don't think you two will get along—"

Cutting off the emperor's sentence but again sending the tension skyrocketing, a door on the opposite side of the room was flung open so hard it banged against the wall before coming back to smack against its frame and another man entered.

He was in his early twenties with broad shoulders, tan skin, and jet-black hair. He probably looked like every other man in Athia _except _for the ebony eyes that gleamed with arrogance and cruelty. _And_ the unmistakable tattoo inked on his left shoulder—a blue serpent wound around the hilt of dagger jammed into a black rhombus and several unusual characters printed beneath the picture that he couldn't read. But Baron would've recognized that face anywhere.

He wasn't the only one who resembled his father.

"Ryoko-sama!" the young man exclaimed, stomping right past Baron as if he hadn't seen him to throw his muscular arms around the emperor in a masculine hug. "It's been so long! Where has the time gone, eh? Oh." He finally acknowledged Baron and his lip curled up into a sneer. "I didn't know you had _company_." He spat out the word as if it were a foul poison coating his tongue and Baron narrowed his eyes.

"Well," the emperor began, scratching his forehead where the crown had slipped, "this young man has arrived for the contest too."

"_What_?" Prince Machida shouted, his hands balling into fists. "I thought only _one_ man at a time got to try to solve the mystery!"

"That was because this situation has never come up. And since this young man has come all the way from Sunder—" Baron felt no need to correct him "—and you all the way from Bodair, you two are going to enter the contest simultaneously."

"_Sunder_?" The prince shuddered dramatically. "I have to compete with a Sunderese peasant? Well, _this_ should be good."

Baron resisted the urge to roll his eyes and beat the prince over the head with his cane, not for the first time wishing he had never sold his sword. By the look on the emperor's face, _he_ wished he had something to beat the prince over the head with too.

Machida turned to Baron, that arrogant sneer still etched into his handsome features. Although it pained him, both physically and emotionally, Baron bowed just as deeply before the prince as he had done the emperor. "Your Majesty," he said politely.

"Peasant," Machida snarled in reply, turning back to the emperor. "Well, let's get on with the rules, old man. I've spent weeks on horseback with barely enough food just to get here and I'm ready for a break."

Baron, straightening, cocked an eyebrow. If _this_ boy was malnourished, then _he_ was a fairy princess complete with wand, wings, and pigtails.

Obviously eager to break the awkwardness edging into the atmosphere, the emperor clapped his hands together. "All right then boys. The rules for the contest are very simple. You will be given a room next to my daughters', free reign of the palace and grounds, and five days to solve the mystery. You must provide evidence to support your theory, and my daughters will state whether or not the theory is correct. Whichever one of you solves the mystery first will get to choose one of my daughters for a bride. If you do _not_ solve the mystery in the allotted time, you will be banned from the capital. Do you understand the rules set forth?"

Solve the mystery, marry a princess—which he didn't plan on doing—or fail and be banished from the royal city. What had he to lose? It wasn't like he knew anyone here. Baron nodded solemnly. "I do, Your Majesty," he replied, bowing his head again.

Machida smirked. "Sure."

"Good. I'll have someone show you to your rooms. Your presences will be required when dinner is announced so I can introduce you to my daughters. Dismissed."

The elderly man from before mysteriously manifested behind the curtain, as if he had been standing there the entire time, to show them to their rooms. Baron had to push himself to keep up with him and the prince, what with his bum leg, as the man led them up several flights of stairs and down many hallways.

Although he suspected the man had known Machida longer, Baron noticed the man kept his distance from the young prince and instead chose to babble on about Athian politics, the lunch menu planned for the next day, and other such trifles to _him_. Not that he minded of course—this man, though gruff and stingy but incredibly loyal to his emperor, was beginning to grow on him.

"Here are your rooms, gentleman," he said, gesturing at two identical doors surrounding a much larger one engraved with birds and flowers. "Your Majesty, your room is on the right. And Alexander, yours is the left."

Baron's lips quirked into a grimace as the man addressed him by the wrong name. _Could be senile_, he thought absently as he went on to explain the bell ropes near the bed that would ring for a servant if they needed, _or I could look much more like my old man than I thought_.

"Good day, gentleman," the man said finally, bowing to them both. Baron nodded politely and thanked him; Machida had already disappeared into his room.

Rolling his shoulder to shift his satchel to a more comfortable position, he reached for the doorknob of his room, excited to enter—he'd missed sleeping on a real bed. However, before he even had the door open, he was being spun around and shoved into the wall. His jade eyes flicked to lock with the cruel ebony ones of the crown prince of Bodair.

"Listen, pal," Machida snarled, leaning closer so there was no way Baron could mistake anything about this young man as 'friendly,' "I know who you are."

"Really?" he responded dryly. "Bravo, Your Majesty."

_That_ comment earned a second shove into the wall. "You're the son of that nosy baron," he continued. "The one who punched my father last time he visited."

"Only because _your_ father first flogged a servant within an inch of his life," he replied, "because the poor man spilt a bit of tea on your father's robe."

For that he received an elbow to the gut. "I don't know who you think you are, but you better listen up. _I'm _going to win this contest and _I'm _going to marry Harumi-chan, got it? And if you stand in my way… well, I can't guarantee the consequences."

"Why? Have someone to come up with that for you too? Or do you have to work me into your busy schedule of tormenting _other_ innocents?"

Machida was so angry his face had turned beet-red. "Not really," Machida hissed, clearly fuming but managing not to blow his top. "It's because I'm told I have a _nasty _temper."

And then he kneed Baron in his injured thigh, all the fury and hatred beneath his words released into the action, causing Baron to cry out in pain and crumple to the floor. Machida stood above him, looking smug.

"Stay out of my way blondie, and maybe I _won't _have your family executed. Oh, wait." He tapped his chin mockingly. "I already did!" And he turned and waltzed back into his room, leaving Baron swiping pained tears threatening to stream out his eyes.

"If that's the game you want to play, Machida," he, seething with hatred, muttered beneath his breath as he hoisted himself to his feet and hobbled through the door, "then by all means, let the game begin."

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N:** Machida's a jerk.


	7. A Meal

Baron found new clothes laid out on his bed that suited the palace more but not his taste. He longed for his light gray suit with the red vest, blue bowtie, and matching top hat; he'd worn a long-sleeved shirt and tunic since he'd joined the military.

Along with his new outfit, a large metal basin in a small extension off his bedroom was filled with steaming water and frothy pink bubbles and a shaving kit laid out on a counter before a mirror. It was as if they had known he'd been stuck in the wilderness for days, and he couldn't get undressed and into the hot bathwater fast enough.

The soak did wonders for his body, which he hadn't realized was sore until he was lying still, the pain in his leg started up again by Machida's sharp jab to his wound even beginning to ebb away. He could fall asleep in this tub though he resisted the urge—he had a nice feather bed he could do that in instead.

Halfway through his soak, he was startled to hear a tapping on the window in his room. Wrapping a towel around his lower half, he stepped out of the basin and strode across the room to the window, where he spied Evangeline's unconventional pet bird pecking at the pane.

"All right, all right, I'm coming" he muttered, flipping the latch to throw open the window and invite the bird inside. Toto circled the room twice before landing on one of the bedposts, ducking his head to straighten out a few disheveled feathers.

Satisfied, he tromped back behind the changing screen and unwound the towel so he could sink back into the water—he was going to take advantage of this opportunity—sighing in pleasure.

"I know it's bad to take advantage of someone," he said, stating his thoughts aloud, "but I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner."

"Probably because you're too honest for your own good."

Baron, who had sunk into the bubbles up to his neck, promptly jerked up and glanced around. "Who said that?"

"I did." Toto fluttered over to perch on top of the changing screen.

"Who?"

"Me. _I _did." The crow's beak moved. _The crow's beak moved!_

Baron cried out and jumped several inches, sloshing water over the sides of the basin and landing hard on the metal bottom. "Y-y-you just t-t-talked," he stammered out.

Toto nodded. "I did. You sure are jumpy," he added as Baron jumped again, sending more water onto the wood floor.

Baron squeezed his eyes shut and pinched his arm, hoping this was just some twisted dream. When he opened his eyes, however, the crow was still there, and it spoke again:

"You're taking this pretty well for someone who met his first witch this afternoon."

"I-I've heard of talking animals," he explained. "I've just never been the one talking back."

Toto shrugged. "Well, I can tell you that you're not going crazy. Miss Evangeline informed you that I have, and I quote, 'a few tricks beneath my wing.' "

"I take it talking is one of them?"

"Precisely."

Baron dunked his head beneath the suds. When he came back up, he stared at the crow again. "Do you speak to everyone?" he asked, wiping the water trickling down his head out of his eyes.

"On the contrary, this is a rare thing. Evangeline is special, and she heard me when I cried out for help all those years ago. And don't get your hopes up, because the only reason you can hear me is because Evangeline _let _you."

He nodded slowly in understanding. "And are you the only animal I can hear?"

Toto reached up with one wing to rub his head thoughtfully—_did I just think that crow was being thoughtful? _"I'm not sure. I've been with Evangeline for a hundred and twenty years and even _I _don't know the limits of her magic. She's a sly one, so I wouldn't be surprised if you could."

"So I shouldn't be worried for my sanity?"

"Not because you're hearing animals."

"Well, that's good to know for future reference. Uh, do you mind?" He gestured at the towel hanging beside him.

"Not at all." Toto moved back to the bedpost so Baron could step out of the tub and dry off in privacy. He then slipped into the clean trousers he'd been left—waiting to pull the shirt and tunic on after he'd shaved—and proceeded to remove the scratchy stubble beginning to grow on his chin.

"Why can Evangeline hear you?" he asked, splashing away the foam on his face. He was starting to look more like himself every minute. "Why can't everyone?"

"I told you," the crow said, "Evangeline is special. I don't know what it is about her exactly, but there's something that separates her from the rest of the human race that allows her to overcome the language barrier. It's probably related to her ability to learn magic."

"Are there more people out there who can speak to animals?" Running a comb through his hair, he tried slicking it back but decided he liked it falling forward better—the only trait he wanted to share with Machida was his gender.

"Most likely, though they are few and far between, but there _is _a rumor that one of the Athian princesses can converse with us."

Baron spun around to stare at Toto. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm," the crow said, shifting his feet on the rounded bedpost, "but I still haven't discovered which one it is yet. It's not a talent you share with others."

"That's justifiable." Satisfied with his appearance, he strolled over and flopped onto the inviting bed. "Toto?" he mumbled, burying his face in a cloud-soft pillow.

"Yes Baron?"

"Wake me when it's time for dinner, will you?"

"Of course." But Baron was already falling asleep.

=^^=)

Baron awoke several hours later, well rested for the first time in days, when he felt something gently tugging on his hair. He blinked blearily and almost went into cardiac arrest when he saw it was Toto, murmuring at him that it was time for dinner even as a loud knock sounded on the door. A stiff wing to his mouth silenced the scream about to erupt and once he'd calmed down, Toto removed his wing and hopped to the end of the bed.

"Don't worry about it," he said, tucking his legs beneath his body and settling down. "It happens to everyone at least once."

Baron nodded, though he still felt guilty. "I'll bring you something from the table," he said softly, stroking the bird several times before stretching and stumbling over to the mirror. Righting his clothes, fixing his hair, and wiping the drool leaking out the side of his mouth, he went to answer the door, cautioning Toto over his shoulder not to be seen; he didn't know the policy the castle had on allowing live fowl in that _wasn't _to be butchered and served as an entrée.

Taking a deep breath before throwing open the door, he greeted a young maid who, blushing scarlet, informed him it was time to sup. He closed the door and let her lead him through the hallways and down the stairs until he was shown into a room that rivaled the main hall in beauty and extravagance.

There were more marble columns of course, rich tapestries that depicted spectacular scenes draped on the white walls facing large windows that revealed a marvelous view of the royal city at sunset. The sinking sun bathed the houses, the shops, and even the citizens in gold. The table, varnished a deep mahogany, was so long more than the standard four legs were required to hold it up. The number of chairs along its length was mind-boggling, but Baron had no doubt that it could seat _at least_ seventy-five people. An enormous clock hung on the wall, displaying the time in Roman numerals. According to it now, it was a little after seven o'clock.

The clock was hung over the head of the table, where the emperor was seated now. To his right was Prince Machida, two empty chairs to his left. However, the left side was not _completely_ empty as three seats were taken up in a row, each occupant possessing a different color of hair.

When Baron entered in his finer, cleaner clothes and limping slightly with his cane, all eyes turned to him. Prince Machida, whose face seemed to be stuck in a perpetual snarl, made no move to acknowledge him, but the emperor waved his arm, which he soon discovered was a signal to assist him to the table. An older woman with silver hair scurried over and offered him her arm and though he was embarrassed, he graciously accepted her help and was escorted to the seat on the left of the monarch.

"Good to see you," Ryoko said amicably, and Baron bowed his head respectfully.

"I'm honored to sit at your table, Your Majesty," he said politely.

"I'd like to introduce you to my daughters," he continued, raising his hand to gesture at the three people on the left. "Girls, this is the Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." Three stunningly beautiful young women rose and peered around each other to get a better look at him. "Louise-chan is the furthest away, and is also my eldest," a flaxen-haired beauty batted her eyelashes, "Yuki-chan is my second daughter," a woman with white-blonde curls smiled sweetly, "and Hiromi-chan and Harumi-chan are twins." The last girl, this one possessing tawny hair and appearing several years younger than her two sisters, wiggled her fingers.

The emperor's tone changed slightly. "Please excuse Harumi-chan's tardiness, Baron-san," he said, frowning. "She has a penchant for being late."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry!" All eyes revolved to the doors again to see a fourth young woman with dark hair like the emperor and dressed in violet scramble to the table. She quickly bowed her head and mumbled a thousand apologies to the emperor, and when she lifted her head Baron's breath hitched in his throat.

The girl who had dragged him into a corner and covered his mouth with her dainty hand now slid into the seat beside him.

"This is my youngest daughter," the emperor said, pointing at the dark-haired maiden beside him, "Harumi-chan. But she goes by Haru."

"N-nice to meet you," he stammered slightly, still reeling from the shock.

_Oh dear, the things we did in that corner_, he thought, inwardly panicking. _How did I not realize she was a princess? How on earth could I _do_ such things with a _princess_?_

Princess Haru, for her part, did not reveal that they had already met. She smiled and nodded politely at him before facing forward.

The dinner was somewhat awkward, as it was clear by the princesses' behavior that they did not like the crown prince of Bodair any more than he did. The emperor, sociable man that he was, encouraged conversation by asking Baron about Sunder.

"It's a beautiful place," Baron replied, taking a sip of the wine in his goblet. "Most of the land is countryside, with rolling grasslands and meadows and crisscrossed with rivers, and it really is quite exquisite."

"Is that where you're from?" Princess Louise inquired dreamily, leaning her head in her hand. "Sunder?"

"Indeed."

"I _love_ your accent. Sunderese accents are _heavenly_."

"Um… thank you?"

Nothing, however, could stop Machida from bragging about himself and all the 'heroic' deeds he had performed during the Bodarian-Sunderese War.

"Didn't Bodair lose the war, Machida-san?" All eyes flicked to the fourth, youngest, and said to be the plainest, daughter as she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. She lifted her chocolate eyes to gaze steadily across the table at the crown prince, whose fork had clattered to the floor. "Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

Machida spluttered to come up with an answer while her three sisters snickered behind their hands. A small smile slid onto Baron's lips as he gazed at her serious profile, and the emperor couldn't decide _what_ reaction to use.

"S-s-s-say something!" Machida finally snapped at Ryoko, pointing at the dark-haired princess.

"H-Harumi-chan! You're excused!"

"As you wish Father." Princess Haru dipped her head, rose from the table, and calmly left the room, the doors already open for her departure.

Suddenly Baron wasn't hungry, and he asked if he could be excused as well. The emperor, probably assuming his daughter's remarks had made him uncomfortable, acquiesced, and Baron dropped his napkin on the table, bowed before them, and quickly left the dining hall.

Once in the main hall, he looked around and caught a flash of purple turning a corner up ahead. "Princess Haru?" he called, striding as fast as his bad leg would allow. The purple reappeared as the princess stopped and looked back.

"Yes?" she asked when he'd caught up. "Can I help you?"

He grinned. "I came to see if I could escort you to your room."

"That would be lovely, thank you."

"And also that I admire how you stood up to Crown Prince Machida like that."

The princess shuddered. "Ugh, I _hate _that guy. He thinks I'm hopelessly in love with him or something and has _vowed _to marry me." She sighed. "I'm glad Father dismissed me. I was about ready to dismiss _myself_."

Baron chuckled. "He _is_ a jerk, I will give you that."

Her fair cheeks reddened. "I'm sorry about earlier," she murmured. "I didn't know… I mean I _did _know, but…"

"No, I understand. But still," he glanced down at her and his smile broadened, "telling Prince Machida off was most admirable. And I _do_ admire a girl who speaks from the heart."

"What I said was nothing new or anything he shouldn't have already known and if he's going to make up stuff in front of something who's _clearly_ Sunderese, then he deserves to be told off."

"Well, I admire your spirit, and I thank you for defending my country."

They stopped in front of the large door with the engraved flowers and birds. "Thanks for escorting me back to my room," she said, shyly tucking her hair behind her ear as she attempted a curtsy.

He swept out his arm dramatically and bowed till his chest was parallel with the floor, then he reached out and lifted her fingers from her side. Bringing them to his mouth, he gently brushed his lips against her knuckles as he said, grinning, "Anything for you, princess."

Straightening, he held her hand in his longer than necessary until she finally took her fingers back. "Well, I-I should probably go to my room," she whispered.

He nodded. "Probably."

"Um, good night."

"Good night princess."

Princess Haru finally shut the door after she spent a couple minutes lingering in the doorway, just gazing at him. He didn't mind.

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **I tried to use Japanese suffixes, though I'm not sure if I used them correctly. And need I mention shirtless (and naked) human Baron? Gorgeous...


	8. A Toast

**A/N: **Starts with Machida's POV, then switches back to Baron's.

* * *

When a soft knock sounded on the door, Prince Machida looked up from polishing his sword. Normally he would have his servant get it, but said servant was back in his castle on the other side of the neighboring country. So, when the knock sounded again, he rose from his bed and stomped over to the door.

"What could _possibly _be so important… oh." His voice trailed off when he saw who it was leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh, hello Machida-san," Princess Louise purred, sidling into the room. The pink kimono she wore hugged her curves deliciously, complimenting her flaxen hair well. Although his heart would _always _belong to Haru…

"How are you?" she crooned, casually flipping her silky hair off her slender shoulder.

…but Haru didn't have to know about this, right?

"Well," he replied, his eyes roving shamelessly over her body. Why couldn't Haru be as… _well-developed_ as her sister? "And you, Louise-chan?"

"Marvelous," Louise replied, dragging her finger along his jaw. "I'm just running an errand for Father. He wanted me to give you this." Bringing her hand forward, he saw she carried a goblet filled with a burgundy liquid.

"What for?" he inquired, a little suspicious; Ryoko never had wine brought up for him before.

She batted her eyelashes. "It's a very special, very _expensive_ wine imported from the Medeiros Islands. Helps one sleep, you know."

Taking the goblet from her, he held her gaze as he fingered a strand of gold hair. "Really?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Not one to question beautiful girls giving him special drinks, he tipped back the goblet and downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp. When he turned around to continue flirting with the attractive princess, he found to his utter dismay that he was alone.

Yawning—he hadn't realized he was so tired—Machida placed his sword on the bedside table and laid down on the downy blanket, just to rest his eyes for a minute or two.

When Louise peeked through the keyhole ten minutes later the crown prince of Bodair, the pride of his father and country, was sound asleep and snoring noisily.

=^^=)

Baron blinked and lifted his head as the candle he was reading by flickered across the page. Toto had warned him not to fall asleep or he would lose his chance to follow the princesses to see where they were disappearing.

A light tap sounded behind the door, and Baron shooed Toto out the window as he went to answer it.

Princess Louise leaned against the doorframe, casually fluffing her flaxen hair. When he opened the door she looked up in surprise, then smiled. "Hello Baron-sama," she purred.

He bowed his head, willing the blush spreading across his cheeks to disappear. "Princess Louise. I didn't expect you. Would you like to come in?" He opened the door wider.

"Mmm, thank you." Sashaying into the room, her pink kimono twirling between her slender legs, she flounced over to the bed. "This bed is soft."

"Thank… you?" Wary, he returned to his chair and sat down. "Is there something you wished to see me about?"

"Oh! Actually, I did." From behind her back she revealed a goblet of wine a deep shade of red, bubbling lightly. "Father wanted me to give you this," she said, rising and moving toward his chair. "It's a special wine, imported straight from the Medeiros Islands, that helps one sleep."

Baron smiled cordially. "While I appreciate the thought and the gesture, I don't usually drink before bed."

Louise stuck her bottom lip out in a sorrowful pout. "Oh, but Baron-sama, Father would be _so _disappointed if you don't accept his gracious offer! After all, the wine was _very _expensive." She held the glass out for him to take.

He studied it. When he had first returned to his room after dinner, Toto cautioned him against all the tricks the princesses used to subdue the eager contestants—presenting a powerful sleeping draught under the cover of an expensive wine was the technique employed most.

_Thank goodness I heeded Toto's warning_, he thought as he accepted the goblet, _and wore this scarf_.

Louise grinned as he tipped the glass back, pretending to drink the 'wine.' However, instead of the liquid running down his throat, it slithered down his chin and drizzled into a second goblet tied around his neck, concealed by a fluffy red scarf. The performance would satisfy the princess and leave Baron wide-awake.

When the glass was empty, he rubbed at his chin to remove the red stain and handed back the goblet. "Thank you Princess Louise," he said, taking her hand in his. "I appreciate the gesture." To provide extra insurance, he kissed the back of it and smiled up at her.

Louise giggled. "You're quite welcome, Baron-sama." Wobbly on her feet, as if _she _were the one who'd drunk the draught, she swiveled her hips and strolled out of the room. When she peeked through the keyhole, she was satisfied to see Baron facing the window, completely covered in the downy blankets, and quietly snoring.

She couldn't see that his eyes were wide open.

=^^=) - cat.


	9. A Discovery

**A/N: **Starts with Haru's POV and switches back to Baron's.

* * *

"Father just doesn't understand. _No one _understands. Muta, why me?"

"I dunno Chicky. Maybe it's 'cause yer too nice."

Haru smiled and scratched the place right behind Muta's left ear, the place that made a deep purr rumble in his throat. "I don't think so," she mumbled, lifting the cat off her lap and dropping him onto her mattress. The cat, an obscenely obese, cream-colored feline with one chocolate-dipped ear, waddled toward her pillow and flopped down. "But I appreciate the thought Muta."

The cat's whiskers twitched as he grunted something into the pillow.

Louise suddenly flung open the door and waltzed in. "Sound asleep," she said triumphantly to her youngest sister, seating herself on the end of the bed. "They fall for it _every _time."

"That's because _you're _the one offering it," Haru replied teasingly, shoving her sister in the shoulder.

Louise giggled as she fluffed her hair with mock-arrogance. "I _am _very pretty." She glanced over and saw the cat snoring on Haru's pillow. "Talking to cats again, sweetie?"

"Hey, don't judge me. Muta is the only one who listens me. Isn't that right Muta?" She reached over and rubbed his back, to which he responded by sleepily kicking a leg in pleasure.

Louise grinned. "That's because _you're _the one who feeds him."

Before Haru could shove her sister again, there was a knock on the door and their father entered. "Time for bed, girls," he said, clapping his hands. "Where are your sisters?"

"Changing," Louise replied, rising. "They'll be out in a minute."

He spread his arms and his daughters dutifully stepped forward to be wrapped in his embrace. "I love you two, you know that?"

"Yes Father." Didn't I say the princesses were well trained?

"And even though I don't like that you're lying to me and sneaking around behind my back, I still love you."

"We know Father."

"Good." He kissed them both on their foreheads, and when Yuki and Hiromi appeared he kissed them too.

"Sweet dreams, girls," he said.

"Sweet dreams to you too Father," they replied in unison.

He smiled at the four most precious things in the world to him, then he closed the door, turned, and retired to his bedroom just down the hall.

=^^=)

About twenty minutes earlier…

"So how do I make this work again?"

Baron stood, the teal cloak draped over his shoulders and buttoned at the neck, and turned to the other gift from the mysterious witch.

"Say your chosen outfit aloud," Toto answered, "and snap your fingers twice. If you want to be invisible, just say 'occaeco,' click your tongue and snap your fingers once each. I _highly_ recommend you turn invisible to follow the princesses."

"Are you coming along?"

"I suppose." He swooped down from the bedpost to land gracefully on Baron's shoulder. "Evangeline would want me to look after you, make sure you don't hurt yourself."

Baron resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Why are _all _women afraid I'll hurt myself? _he wondered absently.

"All right." Exhaling slowly, Baron closed his eyes and stated aloud, "Occaeco." Clicking his tongue and snapping his fingers, he waited for… well, he wasn't sure exactly _what _he was waiting for, but he was sure he would recognize it when it happened.

After standing still for a minute or so, he cracked open an eyelid and glanced around. Nothing _looked _different, and he certainly didn't _feel _different. Maybe he'd done something wrong…?

Lifting a hand to run his fingers through his hair, he sighed. Then he paused. However, before he could scream with the sheer shock of it, something hard and feathery was pressed to his mouth.

The only problem was that he couldn't see it.

"It worked," Toto said, and Baron very nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound.

He held up his hand before his eyes. Or, he _thought _he did; he wasn't entirely sure because _he couldn't see it_. "It really did," he mumbled.

Toto tightened his grip on his shoulder, causing him to gasp. "Quit gawking," the crow said sternly. "We have to get into the princesses' bedroom before they sneak out."

"Right."

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

" 'Invisible' means they can't _see_ you. That _doesn't_ mean they can't hear or touch you, so you have to be careful."

Baron cautiously walked to the door, checking that he had arranged the blankets on his bed to make it appear as if he were beneath them, then he turned the knob and quietly stepped out into the hallway.

He didn't have to wait long for the door to open; Princess Louise appeared from down the hall and flung open the door, and he silently slipped in behind her.

The youngest princess was seated on a bed, an overweight cat sprawled across the pillow, as the eldest flounced in and informed her how well their little scheme had worked. They playfully teased each other until the emperor entered, kissing his four daughters and bidding them goodnight. The four girls then crawled into their beds and blew out the various candles providing illumination, and the room was plunged into darkness.

Baron was afraid that he was going to be trapped in the room till morning, but after only twenty minutes in the darkness, candles began to flicker on and the princesses sit up.

Louise was the first out of bed, and she tiptoed to the door and slipped a key she produced from the folds of her dress, locking the door from the inside. Then she whirled around to face her three sisters and grinned. "Let's get ready!" she whispered excitedly, darting over to a large wardrobe beside the bed she had been lying in. "The princes won't wait for us forever!"

Realizing they were going to change, Baron felt his face grow hot as he turned and ducked his head behind a set of drapes. Being in the presence of four young women without their knowledge was bad enough; being in their presence while they were _changing _was ten times worse.

The princesses chattered idly as he listened to the sounds of buttons snapping, fabric swishing, and ribbons lacing, their topics of conversation ranging from last season's diamonds to whether or not laborer's taxes should be raised to the mutual hate they shared for the crown prince of Bodair. The last subject made him grin.

Toto nudged him gently and he peeked out the curtain to see they had switched from dressing to applying make-up.

While waiting for them to finish, he carefully memorized their gowns for future reference. Louise, her flaxen hair coiled into an elegant knot atop her head, modeled the magenta dress with the low-cut neckline well, the fabric flowing over her curves like water. Yuki and Hiromi, their hair curled into bouncy ringlets, wore lavender and coral-colored gowns respectively. And Haru, looking thoroughly _un_enthused, had on jade-green dress with a very modest neckline, her long dark hair hanging loosely about her shoulders.

_They really are quite pretty_, he thought, watching them carefully apply various powders to their faces.

Once the four of them were satisfied with their appearances, they rose from their individual vanities and Louise strode to a small table near the window, an unlit candle standing on its surface.

She gripped the wax in her delicately gloved hand and yanked it back. To the right of the table, the wood panels comprising the floor began to slide away, revealing a dark tunnel in the floor. Amazingly, he controlled himself enough to refrain from gasping in shock.

_So that's how they've been sneaking out of the castle_, he thought as he lifted up the hem of the cloak and followed the four girls down the tunnel.

He didn't realize he'd forgotten his cane until he stepped on a stone stair wrong and his leg slid out from beneath him. Luckily he remained upright, but his little mishap did not go unnoticed—his rogue foot accidentally landed on the hem of Princess Haru's gown.

Haru almost went tumbling into her sisters as she yanked her dress up and turned, looking directly at him. Her sisters stopped and turned, staring at her backside curiously.

"Something wrong Haru-chan?" Hiromi asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Haru, paling beneath the powder on her face, gestured helplessly at the stairs. "Something stepped on my dress," she answered quietly.

Yuki smiled slightly. "It probably just caught on a loose stone. Nothing to worry about."

"Yes Haru-chan," said Louise, starting to walk again. "Don't be a baby."

Haru stared at the empty space he filled a moment longer before she began down the staircase again, Baron keeping several stairs behind to avoid another little accident in the future.

The staircase seemed to be a thousand stairs long, and it certainly wasn't ending anytime soon. The tunnel was dark, only faintly lit by torches bolted along the walls at intervals, the air contained within dank, and the carved steps steep, sending pain shooting up his leg when he'd trip on a loose stone. The princesses, apparently used to the sounds and scenery, did not slow their steady pace.

Eventually, _thankfully_, the staircase came to an end, and the five of them trotted along a stone path. At the end of the path was a heavy wooden door, and it took all four princesses to raise the wooden plank barring the entrance and to drag it, on creaky hinges, open.

The air left his lungs as he gazed at the sight before him.

Cherry trees, commonly known as Sakura trees, do not grow within the borders of Athia. There wasn't a single one in Athia and no one was quite sure why, but they _did_ grow in Sunder, although few and far between. And when they _could_ be found, they only bloomed their exceptionally pale blossoms for a scant three weeks in the springtime.

Beyond the door, however, lay an entire _forest_ of Sakura trees, their spindly limbs heavy and drooping with pink blooms. A thin dirt path wound its way in between the trees, which sprinkled their petals upon the girls' heads in a flurry of pastel pink. Above, the navy sky was speckled with twinkling stars, heightening the surrealistic feel of this entirely fantastical world hidden beneath the castle. In the distance, he could hear the gentle slap of waves along a shore.

The forest ended as the path opened up into a clearing facing an equally blue lake shrouded in a dense fog, a little pier extending off the shore into the water. Four little boats, each painted a glistening white and containing a human-sized cat in periwinkle livery, were lined up before the pier. The princesses accepted the offered paws and clambered into separate boats; Baron carefully slipped into the one containing Princess Haru.

The cat in his boat picked up a set of oars and plunged them into the water, shattering its glassy surface like a mirror dropped on the floor, and it gently swayed on the little waves as they entered the fog. However, the swirling mass soon began to clear, fading to a gauzy mist that wound itself around them in gossamer threads. When next he looked up, an immense castle with towering spires, appearing gold in its own intense illumination, had appeared on the horizon. Its reflection briefly glimmered in the water before an oar broke the surface again, shattering the image into a thousand gold coins sinking toward the bottom. Faint music drifted on the breeze to his ears, and even from approximately two miles off the shore he could make out the many colorful blurs of people as they lined up along the outside of the castle, either waiting to gain entrance or simply enjoying the crisp night air.

It didn't really matter though; the sight simply took his breath away.

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **All girls are afraid Baron will hurt himself, tee hee! I _loved_ describing this underground world. Isn't it picturesque? Tidbit of knowledge here... 'occaeco' is not some made-up, nonsensical word I dug out of the dump inside my head; it means 'invisible' in Latin.


	10. A Secret

_Rrrriiiippp!_

"Did you hear that?" Princess Haru asked, looking around wildly.

Beside her, Baron had clapped a hand to his mouth as he desperately tried to control the tail now waving freely beneath his cloak, praying it wouldn't accidentally brush against her arm.

_This, _he thought as the feline boatman glanced around, _is _not _an obstacle I expected to face._

Eventually the boatman shrugged and the princess settled back into the boat as they drifted toward shore. Baron did a double-tale when he realized he was not the only one undergoing _unique _transformations.

Princess Haru had grown a coat of light brown fur, her ears having trailed up the sides of her head and turning pointed, and a pair of whiskers protruding from her cheeks. However, changing species did not seem to faze her as she kept glancing around apprehensively.

Finally, _thankfully_, they reached the shore and the boatman threw a line to several cats waiting near the dock as he offered Haru his arm and escorted her out. Baron quietly followed, mindful of her dress and the many shoes and paws scurrying past.

The other three princesses were waiting in a small cluster near the door, having also gained catlike appearances. Princess Hiromi was light brown like her twin, Yuki the color of freshly fallen snow, and Louise pale gold like her hair. They easily enveloped Haru into their group and strode toward the entrance, arm in arm. He trailed behind as they stepped into the grand ballroom the doorway led to, and again he was caught off-guard and left breathless.

The room was enormous, with ceilings that measured _at least _thirty feet high, a circular stained glass skylight at the top. There were more columns—_why do royals have such an affinity for columns?_—painted a pale yellow that seemed to glow in the light of the dozens of candles strewn across the room. Most of the room was painted a rich maple brown, the large bay windows outlined with fish-shaped tiles, and long tables laden with food lining the walls. Many colorful cats twirled around the room as a dozen musicians cranked out a lively tune from a box beneath one of the windows.

The castle was beautiful! No wonder the princesses frequented such a place.

Silky feathers brushed against his neck and he tilted his head toward the crow on his shoulder.

"Grab something," Toto whispered. "Something that will provide evidence to the king that you followed the princesses."

He frowned. "Like what?"

The crow sighed. "I don't know. A fork or a spoon or something."

Baron tore his eyes from the stunning view and glided toward one of the tables against the wall. When no one was looking, he pocketed a plain-looking spoon, embossed with a cat wearing a crown.

If he was going to steal, he wasn't going to take anything expensive.

Lifting his head again, his eyes scanned the crowd for the princesses. He counted one, two, three… but where was the youngest sister?

His eyes darted between the dancing cats as he elbowed his way through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone. There was another doorway toward the back of the room, one that opened into darkness, and it was here he saw a triangle of green as it fluttered outside. He quickly ducked around a passionate couple swirling toward him and made for the door.

Outside in the cool night air, he found himself surrounded by a wall of green. Once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he realized the wall of green was a row of square-topped hedges. Striding forward, he looked around the corner and saw the jade dress disappearing, and he hurried after it.

Slowing his steps on the crunching gravel, he turned the corner and spotted Princess Haru casually strolling along the path, dragging her long, gloved fingers against the leafy hedges. Humming softly, she came to a fork in the path and chose the right one, continuing her lazy route.

_A maze_, he realized as she wandered between the hedges, choosing paths that sometimes led her to dead ends and then turning around and walking back. The tune she hummed beneath her breath was sorrowful as she kept her eyes on her feet, keeping her steps slow and deliberate.

He glanced back toward the castle, its towers looming up over the hedges in tall, golden spires, then returned his gaze to the wandering princess.

_But… why is she out here all by herself?_

Baron couldn't voice his question though, so he walked a little faster until he was keeping pace with the princess, and together they walked the maze. Even living in a castle with hundreds of servants, her father, a cat, and three sisters… even attending a ball filled with people (or cats, rather), he had never realized how alone a princess could feel.

A sad, knowing smile spread across his lips as he watched her features quietly. _So she's alone too._

=^^=)

Baron quietly climbed into the boat behind Princess Haru and settled himself on the bench beside her. The feline boatman took up the oars and began to row, and Haru sighed and leaned in the back of the boat.

He blinked, and when he opened his eyes the pointed, flickering ears, the quivering whiskers, and the brown fur disappeared and the human Haru had returned, folding her arms across her chest and sighing again. Curious, he reached back and felt only empty air where his waving tail had once been. Apparently whatever converted their species ceased when they left the castle, which was just fine with him; how would he have explained a tail anyway?

He followed the four princesses through the Sakura forest and up the seemingly endless flight of dank stairs back to the trapdoor beneath their bedroom. While they were disrobing he snuck out the door and tiptoed down the hall to his.

Once the door was soundly closed behind him, he yanked the cloak off and tossed it onto the bed. Covering his mouth as he yawned, he went over and flopped onto the bed himself, closing his eyes. Toto, who'd been perched on his shoulder the entire night, stretched his wings and cawed angrily when Baron went over and flopped on his bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" the crow hissed.

"Sleeping," was his muffled reply. "I'll need it for tomorrow."

"What's happening tomorrow?"

Groggily, he raised his head and lifted his eyebrows. "I'm following the princesses again."

"What?!"

He shrugged and laid back down, grabbing the sheet and yanking it up to his chin. "The king and his contest can wait, and Machida doesn't pose much of a threat. Besides," he closed his eyes again, "I'm curious about that castle."

"But Baron—"

"Goodnight Toto."

The crow sighed and there was the quiet fluttering of wings as he flew to his perch atop the bedpost. "Goodnight Baron."

But Baron _didn't_ fall asleep; instead, he ended up spending the rest of the night drifting in and out of slumber as his mind whirled restlessly, centering around one thought: he _had _to talk to Princess Haru at the ball the next night.

=^^=) - cat.


	11. A Book

The next morning Baron tromped down the stairs, not leaning quite so heavily on his cane as he had before. Swinging open the dining room doors, he smiled and said his greetings as he took his seat to the left of the emperor.

Beside him, the four princesses smiled wanly and bowed their heads. And across from him, Prince Machida looked smug.

"I trust you slept well, Baron-san," Ryoko said, glancing over at him.

Baron nodded as he took a sip from his glass. "Indeed Your Majesty," he replied. "The room was just to my liking."

"I'm glad. I wasn't sure what you'd like so I just catered to your father's tastes."

"I appreciate the thought greatly, Your Majesty." Dipping his head, he stifled a yawn quivering in his throat. He hadn't realized how much he loved sleep until he was bereft of it.

The princesses didn't seem to be doing much better. All four of them had dark smudges beneath their eyes as they slouched in their seats and continually dabbed their mouths with their napkins to conceal their own yawns.

The emperor turned his head to the crown prince on his left. "And you, Machida-san? Did you sleep well?"

Leaning his chin in his palm, he leered at Princess Louise across the table. "Like a baby." Louise smiled sweetly as she discreetly elbowed Princess Yuki. She in turn touched Hiromi, who bumped Haru seated directly to Baron's left.

Haru matched her sister's smile, and a second later a soft thump echoed in the dining room and Machida's smirk disappeared, replaced with a grimace of pain.

Baron grinned into his cup.

Fifteen minutes later, breakfast was concluded and they were excused. The emperor appeared deeply disgruntled with the apparent lack of progress, suspicion hovering behind his brown irises. Instead of returning to his bedroom however, Baron decided to explore the castle.

The hallways were numerous in quantity, most of them appearing identical to him. They were also excruciatingly long, the floors covered in red carpet and lit with dozens of bright torches. The paintings that lined the walls were the only noticeable differences as he wandered through them. One hall featured paintings dating back to ancient times, while another was adorned with much more recent pieces. An entire hall was devoted to relatives of the royal family. Baron smiled slightly as he recognized the dark, kind eyes gazing back at him from every portrait.

While meandering through one of these hallways in the west end of the castle, he came across a set of double doors. Upon one of them, a gold plate embossed with the word 'LIBRARY' gleamed back at him in the cheery lighting.

Seeing as how this was the most interesting room he had come across so far, he shrugged and elbowed open the doors to enter. His breath caught in his throat.

Hundreds upon hundreds upon _hundreds_ of books lined shelves that filled the spacious room from floor to ceiling, and the ceiling was at least thirty feet high. Two spiral staircases went up about halfway, leading to twin balconies that wound around the shelves. Sliding ladders stood at attention at the ends, and richly colored armchairs stood in every corner, feather-stuffed to almost bursting and just begging for him to have a seat. A huge globe, delicately painted to represent the earth, sat in a corner not occupied by a chair, and between the huge windows, lamps, ceiling skylights, and the merry fire crackling in the marble fireplace, the royal blue room and its multicolored books seemed to glow in the golden light filtering in. He was in _heaven_!

"Who knew this was hiding in here?" he mused, closing the door and gazing at all the books again.

Once most of the shock had worn off, he strolled over to one of the shelves and pulled out a book. Casually flipping through the pages, he almost missed the cry of help coming from the depths of the library.

"Is someone there?"

Placing the book on a coffee table, he turned and strode deeper into the library. "I am," he called out. "Where are you?"

"Back here."

He followed the voice to another tall shelf, and he saw a dark-haired girl clinging to a ladder and reaching for a violet-backed book. Her fingertips brushed against the spine, but not enough for her to be able to wrap her hand around it and pull it out.

Leaning his cane against a shelf, he grabbed another ladder and swung onto it, pushing away to slide right beside the girl. Climbing the rungs faster than he thought possible with his bad leg, he reached out with his longer arm and snagged the book from the shelf. "Here you are," he said, holding it out to the girl.

She turned to look at him, and he almost fell off the ladder. "Princess Haru?" he said in shock.

The princess shot her arm out and grabbed hold of his collar. With a mighty jerk, she pulled him forward until his chest bumped the books, and he gave her a sheepish grin. "Thank you," he said, handing her the book.

"No," she replied, smiling back, "thank _you_."

They carefully descended, and when his boots thumped against the carpet he slid his hands around Haru's waist and helped her down. As he did, he caught a glimpse of the title of the book.

"'Fairy Tales,'" he read aloud, glancing at her as she flushed. "You read fairy tales, princess?"

Haru brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes and glanced down at her feet. "I do," she murmured.

His grin broadened and he leaned closer. "Want to know a secret, princess?" he whispered, his eyes twinkling.

Her eyes glittered in the light. "What?"

"I read fairy tales too." He winked at her, and she blushed. "Do you have a favorite?" he asked, straightening and retrieving his cane.

"Actually, I do." Cracking open the cover, she flipped through the pages until she gave a soft gasp and held it up for him to see. In black, flowing script were the words 'Beauty and the Beast,' and beneath was an illustration of a lovely, dark-haired woman on the arm of a human-sized furball. She tapped the page with a fingernail. "This one has always been my favorite."

"If it's not too bold," he began, quirking his lips, "may I ask why?"

Sighing dreamily, she closed the book and hugged it to her chest. "Because it's so romantic," she breathed. "Even though he was verging on hideous monster, Beauty fell in love with him anyway, and their love was strong enough to break his curse. Plus," she frowned, "it's not about a princess."

Baron laughed, and Haru's smile returned. As they stood in the library together, he realized how much he truly liked her smile, and how bereft she appeared without it. Too bad her smile was as rare as Sakura trees in Sunder.

"Do _you _have a favorite, Baron von Gikkingen?" she asked when his mirth finally ceased.

He waved his hand. "Please, no formalities. Just call me Baron, Your Majesty."

"I'll agree to that arrangement when _you _just call me Haru." She shook her head and mumbled, "You have no idea how annoying that gets."

He smiled. "All right Miss Haru. As to my favorite fairy tale…" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I'd have to say I'm partial to 'The Princess Bride.'"

Haru frowned. "'The Princess Bride'? I don't believe I've heard of that one. What's it about?"

A slow smile spread across his lips. "It's about how a young woman, said to be the most beautiful girl in the world, overcomes a sinister suitor and multiple murder attempts in order to be with her one true love." His eyes tilted down to hers. "And she's not a princess either."

Haru sighed dreamily. "It sounds _wonderful_."

Baron nodded. "It is. But it's new and not very popular yet—plus a Sunderese man wrote it—so it's understandable you haven't read it. I used to own a copy, but it… it…" His voice trailed off as he remembered his parents' elegant library, nothing more than ashes now.

The princess gazed at her feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," she murmured.

Baron shook his head fervently. "No no no no, it's not your fault Miss Haru! You didn't know." He grinned. "No harm, no foul, right?"

She nodded, not thoroughly convinced, before lifting her head and eyeing him. "You know," she said, "not many of our suitors _can_ read, let alone _like _it."

He shrugged. "Then they're fools who don't know what they're missing."

Haru beamed. "I agree. I like you, Baron-sama."

He eagerly returned the smile, noticing how the simple gesture brightened her demeanor even more. "I like you too."

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **I _love '_The Princess Bride' (both the book and movie versions) and I needed a fairy tale for Baron to like. He's a hopeless romantic at heart, I think :)


	12. A Disguise

Baron buttoned the cloak at his neck, careful to keep out of sight of the keyhole. Beckoning Toto over, he murmured the foreign word, clicked his tongue, and snapped his fingers. Now knowing what to expect, he lifted his hand curiously and watched as it appeared to dissolve into thin air, and although he had already turned invisible once before, it was still unnerving.

Peeking through the keyhole to make sure the hallway was clear, Baron quietly pulled open the door and stepped out. He hovered by the princesses' doorway until the emperor arrived to bid his daughters goodnight, and he couldn't help chuckling inwardly at the sound of Machida's excessively loud snoring.

Standing patiently as the emperor kissed each of his daughters lovingly on their foreheads, his eyes wandered to the youngest sister. She looked so sweet and innocent; it amazed him that she was part of such a complicated deception.

When the emperor had departed and Princess Louise locked the door, he ducked his head behind the curtains while the princesses changed. The room filled with happy chatter, and Baron smiled as he picked out Haru's voice.

"So, what do you think of the Baron?" Louise's voice sang out, and the other three sisters quieted.

One of the sisters—he deduced it was Hiromi—sighed. "I think he's absolutely dreamy."

Baron felt his cheeks begin to heat up.

"Isn't he just?" Yuki chimed in. "He's so kind and polite."

"I am completely in love with his _accent_," Louise added, sighing as well. "Sunderese accents are totally hot. Plus the Baron's totally hot too."

His face turned beet red.

"What do _you_ think Haru-chan?"

Curiosity took hold and he peeked out from behind the curtain, focusing on the dark-haired, blushing princess, who in turn was staring at her lap. Haru brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as her three sisters stared eagerly at the top of her head.

"Come on Haru-chan," Hiromi prodded, "spill. You're _dying_ to tell us."

A small smile curved her pink lips as her eyes glowed brighter than the dozen candles lit around the room. "The Baron's very sweet… and he's intelligent. He told me he actually _likes_ to read! Isn't that so cool?"

"Stop being so vague Haru-chan. Let's try this: if Baron-sama wanted to kiss you," Louise wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "would you let him?"

Haru resembled a ripe cherry as she slid down in her seat, self-consciously touching her mouth. "I wouldn't mind so much if he did…" she mumbled so quietly he almost missed it.

The three sisters stared blankly at her for a moment before they started giggling excitedly, coyly covering their mouths. Baron bit his lip to keep the gasp from escaping his throat as Haru vainly tried to defend her reasoning.

Once the princesses had settled down they continued applying their makeup, though the three older sisters kept shooting Haru knowing looks even as Haru ignored them. Finally they were ready to go, and Baron was thankful—he wasn't sure how much more female gossip he could take.

The four princesses tromped down the clammy staircase, Baron careful to keep his distance this time and not tangle up his feet in Haru's dress. Tonight she was garbed in a white satin gown, again with a modest neckline, and in it she resembled an angel. He didn't notice what gowns her sisters were wearing.

Again they traipsed through the Sakura forest, pink petals fluttering from the treetops and tangling in Haru's hair. The pastel pink caught in the chocolate brown and, combined with the white satin, provided a very lovely image.

Mindful of Haru's dress and fragile nerves, he climbed into the boat behind her at the edge of the lake, sitting beside her.

Even in feline form Haru was breathtaking, and he excitedly followed her out of the boat and to the castle. Breaking away from the little group like he had the night before, he ducked back into a secluded corner and tilted his head toward the crow perched on his shoulder.

"All right Toto," he whispered, pulling the cloak's hood off his head, "I need a disguise. Will you explain Miss Evangeline's instructions to me again?"

"Say your chosen outfit aloud," the crow murmured, stretching his wings, "and snap your fingers twice."

"All right. How about… a black suit with a mask?" He snapped his fingers and stood patiently, waiting for the magic to take effect.

After a moment, a pleasant tingling sensation radiated from his fingers throughout his body, and he watched as his body began to slowly materialize in front of him. However, instead of the simple tunic and trousers he normally wore, his arms were encased in silky black fabric, white cuffs peeking out from beneath and ending where a pair of white gloves began. The black fabric spread across his chest and down his legs, leaving a space for his newly sprouted tail to poke out, and cool metal pressed against his face. Glancing around, he spied a small window on the wall behind him and he turned to see his reflection.

When he looked in the glass, he half-expected to see a feline's face staring back. However, the actual thing was much more shocking than the thought, and he bit his furry lip to restrain from screaming in surprise.

He was a cat with orange and cream-colored fur competing for space on his face. His pointed ears flicked curiously and his whiskers twitched as a breeze swept past his face. Most of his features were hidden behind a steel, pale blue mask, save for the jade eyes glinting back at him. He had managed to retain his fingers because of the gloves, and his orange tail swung anxiously to and fro.

_Not bad_, he thought, straightening out his black bowtie. _Haru won't recognize me as a cat_.

"What do you plan to do?" Toto asked, leaning his feathered head down to gaze curiously at him.

Baron shrugged. "I'm going to go visit Princess Haru in the garden, and after that I suppose I'll have to play it by ear." He set his mouth in a determined line. "I want to discover why she goes into the garden instead of staying at the party. It's puzzling."

Toto nodded before lifting off his shoulder, lazily gliding in the air before coming to rest on a tree branch ten feet above his head. "I'll be watching for you," he said. "Remember, you still have to make it back to the castle _before _the princesses, or else you'll get caught."

Baron waved his hand dismissively as he checked his reflection one last time. "I won't forget." He looked up at the crow and grinned. "I'll be back before you know it." Spinning on his heel, he entered the ballroom.

The ballroom was just as grand as it had been the night before, although there were rainbow-colored lights strung around the columns and around the window frames, _and _he had to dodge multiple assaults by female cats trying to drape themselves over his arm. Eventually, after wading through all the waltzing—and cooing—cats, he made his way to the arched doorway leading outside. Passing through the archway into the cool night air—and shaking off one last determined female—he strode purposefully down the gravel path, his eyes roving between the leafy hedges as he searched for the angelic princess.

Ten minutes of wandering proved fruitful as he almost ran into Haru. She looked up just as she was about to step on his foot, rapidly spinning out an apology as she balanced herself against the hedge. As she stared at him, her cheeks began to glow pink beneath her fur. "A-are you lost?" she mumbled, nervously wringing her hands.

"You're Princess Haru of Athia, aren't you?" he asked, a slight grin crossing his features.

"Yeah…"

His grin widened. "Then I'm exactly where I want to be."

Haru's blush deepened and she smiled demurely. "You were… looking for me?" He nodded. "Then… would you care to walk with me?" He nodded again, and she slipped her hand through his offered elbow and they began to walk together.

"Have we met before?" she asked suddenly.

He shook his head. "I don't believe so. Why do you ask, princess?"

"Because you know _my_ name, but I don't know _yours_."

His smile broadened even further. "You are well-known in my country for your kindness and your beauty, princess."

Haru waved her hand dismissively, but a wide grin was pasted on her mouth. "Oh stop, that's enough."

"It is nowhere near enough. You have been overshadowed by your sisters for far too long, never receiving the credit you rightfully deserve." He frowned. "Princess Louise may be said to be 'the fairest of them all,' but the Sunderese desire different qualities _besides _beauty."

"So you're Sunderese?"

"I am."

"Are you going to tell me your name now?"

Baron pondered the question for several moments before deciding to 'borrow' his cousin's identity temporarily. "Lysander Garrington, Your Majesty," he said, "eldest son of the Duke of Lye."

Haru raised her eyebrows. "A duke, eh?"

"Indeed Your Majesty."

"I suppose I should be saying 'Your Grace' then, hmm?"

He shook his head. "Please, you need not be so formal. Lysander is fine with me."

She grinned. "As long as you agree to call _me _Haru."

"Fair enough." He tilted his head toward hers. "Why are you wandering through the maze Miss Haru?" he asked. "Don't you know there's a party going on inside the castle?"

The princess shrugged. "I know. I'm not much one for parties, I guess."

Glancing at her, he saw her chocolate eyes waver slightly. "Is that the _only _reason, princess?" he asked softly.

Sighing, Haru freed her arm from his and trudged over to a wrought iron bench planted in the gravel beside a hedge, beckoning him to join her. Smoothing down his trousers, he sat beside her and waited patiently for her answer.

"I can't dance," she murmured finally.

"What do you mean?"

Throwing up her arms, she looked him right in the eye. "I can't dance!" she repeated, exasperated. "Every time I try I embarrass myself, or I hurt someone. I can't even get a partner anymore."

Baron stared at her for a solid minute, then the corner of his mouth quirked up, a quiet chuckle slipping past his lips. He tried to mask it with a cough, but it was too late—Haru heard.

"You _jerk_!" she cried, lightly punching him in the arm. "You're not supposed to _laugh _at me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he gasped between laughter. "I didn't mean to laugh! It's just that… I can't believe that's your reason."

"What do you mean?" She folded her arms, her lower lip protruding. "It's a very good reason."

Grinning, he patted her knee lightly. "I understand, Miss Haru. Perhaps I phrased my response wrong. What I meant was, you just don't seem like the kind of person who can't dance."

"Why?" She tilted her head sardonically. "Because I'm a princess?"

He felt his cheeks heat up beneath his fur as he looked down, but he looked up when he felt a soft pressure on his hand. Haru had placed her fingers gently over his, smiling sweetly in forgiveness. "I understand. I get that a lot."

A wave of warmth washed over him suddenly, beginning between their point of contact, and causing his heartbeat to accelerate. Righting his derailed train of thought, he smiled at her. "I'm sure you do."

Standing up, he offered her his arm again and she accepted it, proceeding to stroll down the gravel path in amiable silence. After a moment however, a soft gasp escaped Haru's mouth and he looked at her, surprised to find her eyes not on his face but his leg.

"You have a limp," she murmured, touching her mouth with her fingertips.

Baron glanced down at the offending leg, then offered her a sheepish smile. "Riding accident," he explained quickly. "Nothing to worry about, though. I feel fine, really."

"Are you sure? We could sit down, or…" Her voice trailed off as he pressed a finger to her furry lips, smiling gently.

"Miss Haru," he began, "the _very_ last thing I want to do is leave. I'm fine, I promise you."

Haru's eyes fell to his finger, the tips of her pointed, flickering ears turning magenta. Clearing his throat, he quickly dropped the hand and continued walking, causing the princess to trip over her dress to keep up.

They continued through the maze, wandering up and down different paths, and he let Haru take the lead for she seemed to know where she was going. She explained that she had begun this ritual a week or so after she and her sisters began attending the party, so she knew the maze like the back of her hand. The very thought of this lovely young woman spending countless evenings by herself wrenched at Baron's heartstrings, and before he could pause to consider the thought, he blurted out, "_I_ could teach you to dance, Miss Haru."

Haru whipped her head to face him, wisps of dark hair flying past her cheeks, and her jaw fell. "What?" she asked, astonishment clearly written across her face. "B-b-but Lysander-san, I really don't think…"

"Why not? I know how to dance, and it is no difficult feat to teach another." He looked at her. "I _know _I could teach you how to dance."

Haru stared at him, and for one fleeting moment he felt the sudden impulse to bend his head and cover her parted lips with his own. Once he collected himself, he inwardly shook his head—how could he think of doing such things with a princess?

Tightening his grip on her hand, he smiled at her. "Come now, Miss Haru, what do you have to lose? I'll teach you here in the garden, where no one can see us. If it works, you can attend the party. If it doesn't, you can go back to wandering your maze."

She still hadn't averted her wide, bright eyes from his face, but before she could answer a feminine voice rang out over the hedges.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan, it's time to go! Come on!"

The dark-haired princess ducked her head. "I have to go," she murmured, attempting to break from his grasp.

Baron, however, refused to let go. "May I have an answer first Miss Haru?"

She sighed in defeat. "All right, you can _try _to teach me." She lifted her finger then, wagging at him like his mother used to do when scolded him and his brother. "But if I give your other leg a limp to match the first, it's your own fault."

He chuckled as he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a light, chaste kiss to the back of her glove. "Agreed Miss Haru," he murmured. "I'll meet you in the maze tomorrow night for your first lesson."

A demure smile breaking across her face even as her cheeks burned scarlet, she nodded dumbly and slipped away from him, darting around a corner and disappearing from sight.

Baron grinned. _Until tomorrow then_, he thought.

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **I like this chapter :)


	13. A Promise

When Baron arrived in the dining room the next morning, he found the four princesses seated on one side of the table, the three eldest crowded around the younger and rapidly firing questions at her.

"Come on Haru-chan!" Hiromi begged loudly. "You have to give us _something_!"

"Yes Haru-chan," Louise added, folding her arms. "Don't be selfish. Tell us who you met last night!"

"I didn't meet anyone," Haru replied simply, continually. "I was in the maze, as always."

"Liar!" all three sisters accused, and Haru frowned.

However, once they realized he was there, they silenced immediately and bowed their heads politely as Baron sat down across from them.

"Where are His Majesty and Prince Machida?" he asked in an effort to generate conversation, murmuring his thanks to the man who brought him a plate piled high with something he'd heard called a rice omelet.

"Machida-san wanted to go hunting today," Louise answered blandly, "and he insisted Father accompany him."

"Ah." As they ate in silence, he peeked up at Haru, but when she looked his way he ducked his head and pretended nothing had occurred.

He missed the startled glances being exchanged when the three older daughters noticed Haru did the same thing too.

After breakfast, he approached the youngest princess. "Excuse me, Miss Haru?" he said quietly, bowing his head respectfully.

"Can I help you with something, Baron-san?" she asked politely, although her face was turning a brilliant shade of crimson.

"Yes actually, I think you can. You see, I noticed there was a garden behind the castle, and I was wondering if you would be so kind as to show it to me." He winked conspiratorially. "We certainly don't have to invite your sisters."

Haru grinned. "Well, in that case, I'd be _glad _to show you around."

Returning her mischievous smile, he offered her his elbow and she happily looped her arm through, electric tingles shooting up his arm at the point of contact. Clearing his throat in an effort to compose himself, they strode toward the garden.

"And this?"

"Honor Elizabeth."

"And who was this Elizabeth?"

"I don't know. Someone very honorable, I guess."

Baron chuckled as he pointed to another bush, this one dripping pink blooms. "And these?"

"Blush Hip, created sometime around 1840, I think."

"How about these?" He gestured to yet another bush, it's limbs drooping with white blossoms.

"Those are Penelope roses." She sighed. "That was my mother's name, you know. Penelope."

"What a charming name. She wasn't Athian, then?"

Haru shook her head. "She was from a little province near the southern border of Daelia. My father met her on one of his business trips there, when he was still a prince. It was love at first sight, he said." She sighed. "And every year on my mother's birthday, he would pick a bouquet of these himself and put them in a crystal vase and set them on her nightstand."

Baron nodded. "He must love her very much, then."

"He did, yes." Haru wrapped her arms around her waist. "She died right after Hiromi-chan and I were born. Pneumonia."

He nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss. I empathize with you entirely."

She jerked her head up, her large brown eyes welling with tears. "You lost your mother too," she murmured in understanding.

Tilting his head away, he gently ran a fingertip along the curve of a scarlet rosebud. "My mother loved roses too," he said, absently tracing the veins of a leaf. "My brother and I bought her a new rose bush for every occasion, and we insisted on helping her plant it in the garden." He smiled faintly. "Sebastian and I were so stubborn. We'd refuse to put on gloves and by the end we'd have two-dozen thorn pricks along our hands and arms. Then my mother would sit and kiss every single prick until we felt better." Lifting his head, mint-green eyes found chocolate-brown ones. "You know, I've never told anyone that story before."

Haru smiled and took a step closer, placing her hand on his arm. "I'm glad you told me." And they stood together, admiring the delicate red rosebud and listening to the birds twitter in the trees.

=^^=) - cat.

"Now move your right foot back."

"Like this?"

"Perfect."

Haru glanced down at her feet again as he directed her movements. Every step was deliberate and slow, but she was so nervous she couldn't meet his steady gaze.

"You must look at me, Miss Haru," he commanded softly.

She tilted her head skeptically but she did not acquiesce. "I can't dance _period_, so just watch me."

He smiled. "Do you trust me, Miss Haru?"

Haru glanced up. "Yes."

"Then you have to look at me." Lifting his hand from her waist, he gently tilted her chin up. He could feel her stiffen in his arms, but after a moment she relaxed again and let him guide her feet.

And then she stepped on his foot.

"Oh jeez, I'm so sorry!" she cried, jumping away from him and clapping a paw to her mouth. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry, I—"

Baron cut off her panicked apology as he began to laugh. "Miss Haru, please…" he chuckled. "I'm fine, I assure you."

The princess frowned. "Don't laugh at me." She folded her arms. "I told you I couldn't dance."

"I'm not laughing at _that_. On the contrary, you were dancing quite well, if I may so. You apology is what amused me."

"I'm glad I'm proving to be suffieient enteretainment."

"Now now, don't be bitter. Come on." He extended a gloved hand to her. "Let's continue the lesson."

Haru bit her lip in avid consternation before she gave in and, sighing, accepted his invitation. He pulled her forward and adjusted her hands slightly, pointedly oblivious to her scarlet cheeks. Satisfied, he began to lead her again.

Gradually, Baron found the young woman gaining confidence in her abilities as their steps quickened and Haru even ventured to raise her eyes and stare shyly up at him.

Unable to hide a grin himself, Baron expertly twirled her beneath his fingers, the gold thread shot through the peach fabric glittering in the soft glow of the lanterns.

"Miss Haru," he murmured, pulling her to him again, "I believe that you are dancing."

Haru's eyes lit up at the compliment, rivaling the very lanterns they glimmered in, and Baron's heart must have skipped a beat because he was suddenly breathless.

"I'm dancing," she said happily, then repeated with more enthusiasm, "I'm dancing!"

"I don't know who first told you that you were a poor dancer, but they were obviously wrong."

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"You don't?

"No, I think I _am _a lousy dancer. But," and she batted her lashes as a small smile encompassed her mouth, "I think it's because I never had the right partner."

"You are took kind Miss Haru," Baron said, gazing into her bottomless brown eyes. "I merely showed you the steps. It was you who followed them."

"And so modest too." She grinned suddenly. "You're a perfect gentleman, did you know that?"

Baron felt his cheeks grow hot. "I'm not so great," he mumbled, for once the one unable to meet her eyes.

Haru tilted her head. "You know, if all men were half as good as you, the world would be a much better place."

His head spun with all the implications of her statements, but all he could muster up was a quiet, "Please don't say that."

Surprised and hurt, Haru clamped her jaw shut and studied the skirt of her gown again as Baron began to feel the danger of paying the emperor's youngest daughter too much attention.

=^^=) - cat.

I totally borrowed the last line from a chapter in Pride and Prejudice. But it fits.


	14. A Thief

So, this chapter may _seem_ like filler (which it kinda is), but what happens _here_ is important later on. Next chapter will be better, I promise!

* * *

Another dart punctured the bedpost, damaging the already flaking, scabby wood and chips of varnish fluttered to the carpet. Angrily, Machida yanked the dart from the wood and stomped back to take another shot at the post, which was already beginning to look like a pack of starving dogs had mauled it.

He had never been so frustrated in his entire life. How could things _not_ be going his way? First there was that infuriating Sunderese guy, the son of the foolish baron who thought he could tell his father what to do. The guy really got on his nerves. His foreign accent and his smooth talking charmed all the blindsided princesses, but Machida knew that he was just all talk and no bite. He knew for a _fact_ that the guy was just looking to marry a rich lady, and if she happened to be a princess then all the better for him.

Then there was the fact that, for some weird reason, Haru-chan was resisting all of his own charms and had even _kicked _him under the table the night before. She had never done anything of the kind before. Well, okay, that wasn't _exactly _true, but Machida had always assumed that it was like when a boy pulls a girl's hair and the girl slaps the boy back, and that meant they liked each other.

Plus there was the fact that he hadn't been able to follow the princesses. Ryoko-sama had been less than thrilled with both of the recent competitors because neither of them seemed to have any leads, but Machida just _couldn't figure it out_.

"Damn," he muttered, hurling another dart at the bedpost.

Worse yet, Haru-chan _liked_ the infuriating Sunderese guy! What made him so attractive? He was _blonde_ for God's sake!

Furious with his circumstances, Machida punched the wall. The wall did not yield and actually didn't seem to care about his feelings or fist. Machida, on the other hand, immediately regretted punching the wall as his knuckles began to redden and bruise and his hand throbbed painfully.

Note to self: don't punch walls.

Rubbing the feeling back into his hand, the Bodarian prince sank onto his bed and brooded. There had to be a way to win Haru-chan's affections and hand without getting banned from the capital forever. But for the life of him he just couldn't figure out what to do!

Then an idea suddenly popped into his head, one that made him grin evilly.

Haru-chan was out walking with the Baron guy again, which meant his room was unoccupied. Therefore, his room was unlocked and open for a certain person to investigate, as it were.

Machida wasn't about to deny that the stupid Sunderese guy was smart; that much was certain. He _had_ to be if he was able to insinuate himself into the royal family so easily and swiftly. Perhaps the Baron had discovered something over the past three days, something that could prove the princesses' whereabouts and insure the prince won the beautiful—albeit stubborn—Haru-chan's hand.

Tiptoeing to the door and checking to make sure the coast was clear, Machida stepped out into the hallway and quietly shut his door. Now he just had to figure out which one was the Baron's bedroom. He wished he had paid more attention when Ryoko-sama's assistant had showed them their rooms, but now was not the time for regrets.

Let's see… if he remembered correctly, the Baron's room was on the other side of the princesses' door, just two doors down from his own bedroom. Thankfully the door truly _was _unlocked—Machida suspected a maid had been in there recently and forgot to lock it again—and the prince silently entered the room.

Upon entering, Machida furrowed his brow. He wasn't _entirely _sure he'd entered the right room; after all, the only difference between it and all the other guest rooms in Ryoko-sama's castle were the colors of the walls and curtains.

Striding toward the closet, he yanked open the door and casually flipped through the clothing hanging up. Most it looked to be of a foreign design—which made sense because the Baron was, indeed, foreign—but he _did _recognize the simple green tunic and brown trousers buried between the other items because that was the outfit the Baron had worn upon their first meeting.

_Yep, _he thought, _this must be his room. Now, _he rubbed his hands together, _to investigate._

In a relatively short time, Machida tore the room _apart. _Among the items found, there was a cloak—which was ratty and certainly not expensive—and piles upon piles of books, from fairy tales to physics and every one of them useless.

Sandwiched between a stack of maps and a pair of tan gloves, Machida pulled out a tiny spoon. It was made of solid gold with a cat wearing a crown embossed on the slender handle. He couldn't recall there being any such spoons at Ryoko-sama's castle; come to think of it, he'd never seen any spoon like it.

A cacophony of noise erupted in the hallway—breaking glass, scraping claws, angry feline hissing and loud cawing—causing the Bodarian prince to jump and utter a little yelp.

"What the…?" Traipsing through the mess he'd created, he bent down and peeked through the keyhole. When the sounds began again and he still couldn't see who was producing the sounds, he jumped a second time.

_I've got to get out of here_, he thought, stifling the panic bubbling in his throat. Easing open the door, he just managed to slide through the crack, dash down the hallway, and disappear into his room. He didn't even remember slipping the gold spoon into his pocket as he left.

=^^=) - cat.

Note to self: don't punch walls (:


	15. A Kiss

**A/N: **Starts with Haru's POV, then switches to Baron's. Sorry for the long wait!

* * *

"Really? No way, I don't believe it."

"Scout's honor."

Haru's attempts to control her giggling were in vain as Baron smirked and raised a golden eyebrow. He let her grasp his arm to maintain her balance on the stairs as she wobbled with mirth.

While she had been giving him an exclusive tour of the art gallery in the South Wing, he had mentioned a book he'd purchased recently in Sunder, one she might enjoy seeing. Naturally eager to spend more time with the blonde soldier, Haru had readily agreed to see it.

As they left the gallery, Baron began to regale her with embellished tales of his and his brother's youth in Sunder, and she hadn't been able to stop smiling.

Baron continued to talk and Haru let her eyes wander over his handsome features. His straw-colored hair flopped into his eyes with each step, hardly concealing the brilliant shards of jade contained within them. His high cheekbones and strong, angular chin couldn't dim the radiance of his smile that got her heart racing every time.

It was such a shame they had to meet through her father's silly contest, and she wished he could be clever enough to discover where she and her sisters went in the night so she _might _have a chance of continuing their acquaintance; if Baron couldn't solve the mystery, then he would be banned from the capital forever.

Baron grinned at her again. "I think you'll enjoy the book, Miss Haru," he said, placing his hand on the knob.

Truth be told, Haru had forgotten the reason for coming to his room in the first place. "Oh yeah, I'm sure I will. I'm sure it'll be great!" Although she couldn't remember what he said it was about.

He turned, giving her a nice view of his profile, and fiddled with the knob for a moment before pushing the door inward. The sight that met their eyes was… shocking, to say the least.

The room was completely torn _apart_. Clothes and books were strewn all over the floor, loose pages still fluttering through the air. The bedspread was lying across the table where a stack of maps had once been, some of the down lining peeking out between an enormous tear. The pillows had been hurled across the room, realigning the paintings on the wall at an angle, and the room was in such general disarray that both of them were struck speechless.

Baron suddenly strode inside and dug beneath a pile of who-knows-what to pull out a long, threadbare cloak. Seeing it seemed to calm him down as he ran a hand through his thick blonde hair, but it had the opposite effect on the princess.

"Who could've done this?" she said, feeling her face grow hot with anger. "Why would someone trash your room? It was Machida-san wasn't it? I'll kill him! No, I'll sic Muta on his pretty-boy face and then I'll—"

"Miss Haru," Baron said, stepping over and placing his hands on her shoulders, "it's all right. No one was hurt and nothing was taken. There's no reason to get upset."

Now her face was hot for a different reason. "Y-you're right," she stammered, unsure of whether she should step away from his arms or into his embrace. "You're right, of course you're right. It's no big deal."

"Right." He smiled and she was glad he was holding onto her or else she might have tipped over. "Give me an hour and it'll look good as new."

Now he stepped away and instantly Haru missed his warmth. She ducked her head in a pathetic attempt to hide her scarlet cheeks. "Well, at least let me help you."

Baron lifted his head, surprised. "Oh Miss Haru, I couldn't ask that of you."

She waved her hand. "I want to help. Everyone acts like I'm so delicate and fragile." Bending down to pick up a book, she shrugged. "I know how to clean Baron-san. Give me a _little_ credit."

Out of the corner of her eye she spied his amused smile. "All right," he consented, gathering a bundle of clothes in his arms, "you asked for it."

Cleaning the bedroom wasn't so bad, especially since she got to clean it with Baron. Haru let a small smile slide onto her mouth as she realized that everything, even getting angry and cleaning, seemed better when Baron was around. He possessed the ability to put things into perspective for her, to lighten up her dark moods, to make her feel better when she hadn't realized she had felt bad to begin with.

She would miss moments like these.

As she straightened a stack of books she'd placed on the bed, Haru glanced up and saw that the curtains had been torn free. Thinking she would be helpful, she grabbed the back of a chair and scraped it across the floor toward the window and climbed on top of it. Standing on her tiptoes, she could just barely brush the pole that held the curtains in place.

_I'll just stand on a book_, she thought, hopping off the chair and snatching one from the top of the pile. _The History of Sunder, Part 3: 1750-1850_ the gold-embossed title proclaimed. Haru placed it on the chair and clambered up onto it.

There, now she could reach.

Everything happened in the space of a few seconds. Haru's fingers missed the pole by a half of an inch, so she leaned forward a little further. The book's slippery cover shifted beneath her feet, sliding off the seat. She shrieked and Baron shouted her name. She closed her eyes as she toppled off the chair. Hands clutched at the back of her kimono and her feet became tangled up in the curtain, then there was a pleasant, firm pressure on her mouth that took her breath away.

Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself drowning in the shining green depths of the Baron's eyes. His golden eyebrows had disappeared beneath his bangs and the way his pupils were dilated made him look afraid.

That was when she realized they were kissing.

With flaming cheeks and a wildly pounding heart, she lurched away from him and attempted to stand. She succeeded with the aid of the bed frame and, afraid to see his reaction, she stumbled over the piles of junk still waiting to be put away and threw open the door. She didn't stop running until she was safely locked in her bedroom. Letting her knees buckle she sank against the door, her fingertips gingerly grazing her lips.

She had kissed Baron. Baron had kissed her. Her first kiss… with a man she barely knew… the most wonderful sensation she had ever experienced in her entire life… with a man who would walk out of her life in two days.

As the realization dawned on her, tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, so she buried her head in her lap and began to sob. Tomorrow was the last day he had to solve the mystery. If he didn't, he would be banished from the capital forever. And Haru would never see him again. And that was enough to keep her occupied for the rest of the day.

=^^=)

Next door, Baron hadn't moved since the princess had darted away. He could scarcely _breathe _let alone return to cleaning. Not that he could focus on cleaning anyway. Not after… after _that. _

He touched his lips again. The emotions stirring inside him were the exact opposite of how he should probably feel; happiness, excitement, and awe reigned when guilt, shame, and embarrassment should have taken precedent.

Baron had kissed a girl once. Susan Weatherly, the daughter of his father's groom, had convinced him to do it when they were nine years old out of curiosity. It had been interesting to say the least; her lips tasted like oatmeal and her hair was as tangled and coarse as a horse's mane as it brushed against her cheek. But it only lasted three seconds, so he became convinced all girls kissed that way.

And then he met Haru, and she threw most conventions out the window.

In an instant however, all of his happiness dissipated. After tonight, he would only have one more day to be with her. And then he would solve the mystery and walk out of her life forever.

_It's for the best_, he told himself. _Princesses don't marry lame soldiers without a penny to their name_. _Give her a few months and she'll forget all about me_.

That thought wasn't nearly as comforting as he'd hoped.

=^^=) - cat.


	16. A Game

Haru's big brown eyes twinkled in the moonlight, the distant glow of candles from the castle flickering across her irises. Baron gently drew her back to him, repositioning his hand on her waist as she lifted her hand to his shoulder.

"Have I mentioned how radiant you look tonight Miss Haru?" Baron asked as they waltzed around the pebbled area.

Haru blushed and glanced at her feet. "Not yet."

"You look radiant tonight."

"Thanks."

In her periwinkle gown, silver jewelry, and dainty tiara atop her shiny brunette locks, Haru glittered more than a thousand diamonds in the sunlight. He chuckled at his own corniness, but it was hard _not_ to be corny when the most beautiful girl he'd ever danced with currently stood in his embrace.

"You're practically a master now," he continued. "Soon you may outdo me."

She laughed. "I don't think I'm _that _good." She twirled beneath his hand, her blue gown elegantly swirling along her ankles, then he drew her into his arms again. He grinned down at her, letting his eyes wander over her delicate feline features. Her cheeks reddened beneath the layer of light brown fur.

Haru murmured something, but he'd been too busy admiring her face to hear her. "Pardon?" he asked, slightly embarrassed at his lack of concentration.

She would have giggled if she hadn't been so out of breath. "Do you think we could take a break? My feet are killing me."

"I never would've guessed from your lack of breath," he chuckled, stepping back and bowing before her as their dance was terminated. Baron then offered her his arm, which she gladly accepted, and they went strolling down the path.

"May I ask you a question Miss Haru?" he said suddenly, glancing over at her.

She nodded. "Fire away."

"If you loathed dancing so much," he began slowly, "why did you accompany your sisters here every night? Why didn't you just stay home and get some sleep?"

Haru sighed as she tiredly leaned her head against his shoulder and his heart thudded heavily against his ribs. "It's kind of boring."

"You could never bore me," he replied honestly.

Haru turned her head away, but she couldn't quite conceal her blush from his perceptive eyes. "There are two reasons," she said, holding up two gloved fingers. "One, my sisters couldn't stand the thought of me staying home by myself, so they dragged me along with them every night. They didn't want me to be alone even though I didn't have much fun."

"And the other?"

A small smile crossed her lips. "Yuki-chan and Hiromi-chan, my sisters, actually have an ulterior motive for coming every night."

"And what sort of ulterior motive would that be?"

She turned her head back to him and lifted her hand to shade her mouth as if she was telling him a coveted secret. "They're both engaged."

His brows rose. "To whom?"

"To Prince Tsuge of Runa and Crown Prince Lune of Feles."

Baron was slightly taken aback. "Your sister is engaged to a _cat_?" he asked incredulously.

She shrugged. "Love knows no bounds, right?"

_Only to a naïve princess. _"I assume they have yet to inform your father."

"_Only_ if either Yuki-chan or Hiromi-chan is forced into a unwanted marriage." She waved her hand dismissively. "Once this silly contest is over, they'll tell him."

"But what if _you_ are forced into an unwanted marriage?"

She didn't answer. They stopped on the path and he gazed at her, drowning in her bottomless chocolate eyes. Just as he was recalling how sweet her lips had tasted the last time he'd kissed her, Haru darted around him and pointed up. "I love Feles at night. The view of the stars is so much better here than back home. I practically fall out the window every time I try to look at them."

Restraining his disappointed sigh, Baron spun on his heel and stood behind her. "The stars _are _much brighter."

"My father bought me a telescope when I was little," she continued, wrapping her arms around herself. "We used to sit on the balcony and he would point out constellations to me. But that was before he became so busy keeping us out of Machida-san's father's war." Her voice trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.

"That's a rather depressing story, Miss Haru."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "Do _you_ have a better one Mister Smarty-Pants?"

"I do, actually." He grinned. "I'll tell you a secret, Miss Haru," and he leaned over her shoulder, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I can make my own constellations."

She tilted her head. "No way."

He nodded, straightening. "Pick a shape. Any shape at all."

Haru stared at him skeptically. "An apple."

Rolling his eyes up toward the heavens, Baron studied the clusters of glimmering white pearls for several moments before, with a satisfied "hmmm," he pointed up. "Right there," he said.

Haru's eyes anxiously scanned the sky, trying to locate the apple, but to no avail. Without considering what dangerous territory he was entering, he stepped up behind her and placed one hand on her shoulder. "Give me your hand," he commanded gently.

She had jumped when he touched her, but she slowly lifted her hand and he slid his fingers around her own, prying one curled finger loose. With his hand guiding hers, Baron led her pointed finger around the stem, the curve of the fruit, a delicate leaf…

"Wow," Haru whispered as he lowered her arm. "Show me again!" she demanded eagerly.

He smiled. "Pick another shape."

"A top hat."

He examined the stars again, then they traced the brim, the smokestack-shaped top, the ribbon wound around the base.

The brown-eyed princess turned in his arms, giggling excitedly. "That is one of _the_ coolest things I've ever seen, Lysander-san."

"I'm glad my simple talent brings you such joy." Reaching up, he tenderly brushed a loose strand of brown hair out of her eyes. "You're so much prettier when you smile, Miss Haru."

Suddenly he noticed her close proximity, the scent of her hair like an entire forest of Sakura trees, her big brown eyes with the long black lashes blinking slowly at him, the tawny cat reflected in those beautiful twin pools. A memory he just couldn't forget of her lying on top of him, her lips pressed against his in a sweet accidental kiss. It was all too much. He started to lean toward her, closing his eyes… but all he kissed was a sweet-smelling breeze.

Haru had removed herself from his arms again and was practically running down the path toward the exit. "Oh jeez, look at the time!" she said quickly, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I didn't realize it was quite so late! I really should be going, my sisters will be looking for me!" Her entire face, including the tips of her twitching ears, was flaming.

Baron sighed before he sullenly kicked a rock lying in the path. It skidded across the gravel before it disappeared into the hedge, not nearly eliminating the sick, ashamed knot in his stomach.

_Wow,_ he thought bitterly, dragging his feet after her, _**that**_ _was smooth. She'll probably never speak to you again. Way. To. Go._

=^^=) - cat.

**A/N: **Definitely didn't come up with the star scene on my own. It's from an interesting little movie starring Russell Crowe called _A Beautiful Mind_. Best scene of that movie.


	17. A Thought

**A/N: **Whew, it's been a while, hasn't it? Well, if you're still with me, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. After this, only three more chapters to go!

* * *

Toto watched Baron stride cheerfully back and forth across the room, humming under his breath as he absently tidied up the already spotless room. He had never seen the young man so happy; Baron seemed to radiate brilliantly, his blonde hair and crisp green eyes glowing from within.

"I don't think I've ever met such a charming lady," Baron said suddenly, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in his bedspread. "Miss Haru is… well, she is…" He trailed off for a moment, then smiled brightly at the crow. "She's absolutely perfect. Don't you agree Toto?"

"Don't tell me you're in love!"

Baron chuckled, reaching up and brushing his fingertips along Toto's back. "I'm not in love, Toto," he replied, although the faraway look in his eyes did not escape the observant crow's notice.

Toto sighed. "I hope you haven't forgotten that once you solve the mystery, you're gone."

Baron looked up. "What do you mean?"

"You said you wouldn't marry a princess against her free will. You agreed you'd go home. Remember?"

All of the happiness drained out of his face and his shoulders slumped. "Right," he murmured. "I _had _almost forgotten."

"That's why you can't fall in love with one of them!"

"I'm _not _in love!" Baron protested fervently, but there was the unmistakable ring of denial in his words. "I said I wouldn't fall in love so I haven't! It's as simple as that."

Toto winced at his tone, then tilted his head ruefully. "Life's funny, isn't it?" he said softly. "You spend it searching for the perfect girl, and then you lose her."

His face twisted with sorrow and the painful realization, Baron sank to the bed and placed his hands over his eyes. After a moment of silence he rose and solemnly walked to his closet. Carefully opening the doors, he flipped through the clothes before he pulled out a pair of pants and rifled through the pockets.

Three minutes later, he was turning his room upside down as panic took over his face. "Where is it?" he muttered constantly. "I can't find it! Where is it?"

Finally, Toto convinced him to slow down and speak in coherent sentences. Baron dragged his fingers through his tousled hair. "The spoon," he breathed. "I've lost the spoon, I can't find it." He threw his hands up in the air and angrily paced the length of the room. "My day just keeps getting better, doesn't it? Now I can't find the spoon and I'm going to be banished and I…"

"Calm down," Toto said, shifting his feet. "You probably just misplaced it. You can pick up another spoon tonight."

"Tonight," Baron repeated slowly. "My last night. My _last _night." He fell to the bed again and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Evangeline misled me. She convinced me this would be _easy_."

The crow sighed. "Yeah. She does that a lot."

=^^=)

Machida didn't hear the chaos going on a few doors down. He was too entranced by the gold spoon he'd discovered in his pocket.

Hopping off the bed, he strode over to the bookcase he had never gone within ten feet of and anxiously scanned the shelves. Practically giddy when he found the title he was looking for, he plucked it from the shelf and carried it back to the bed. He quickly thumbed through it before he found the correct page and his eyes lit up in excitement.

There on the page was the insignia of Feles, a cat wearing a crown. Suddenly all kinds of implications and connections were being formed in his head, and he grinned evilly.

"Perfect," he whispered.

=^^=)-cat


	18. A Declaration

**A/N: **This is a long one, but I hope it'll make you happy with some sappy Baron/Haru-ness. Only two more chapters! Enjoy :)

* * *

Straightening the ostentatious feathered hat between his pointed and twitchy ears—although compared to the woman who wrangled a peacock and perched it atop her curls and the man with five ostrich plumes tickling his nose, his hat seemed rather plain—Baron sighed.

_My last night,_ he thought sullenly. _I don't know how I'll bring myself to leave tomorrow morning_.

Tonight was a costume ball. All of the cats swirling and twirling in the golden ballroom were garbed in dazzling and detailed costumes. Many females had chosen a classic but heavily embellished ball gown while the male costumes ranged from noble knights to mysterious samurai. The women's throats, fingers, and hair dripped with glittering gemstones, sending sparkling rainbows spiraling onto the walls, while the men's swords and shields clattered together in a harmonious din.

Stepping away from the window, Baron strolled purposefully toward the maze. Although he wasn't looking forward to his imminent departure the next morning, he couldn't bear to avoid the princess for an entire night.

She spied him walking up the pebbled path and quickly rose, dipping her head. "Hello, Lysander-san," she said, her cheeks turning pink.

Baron gallantly swept the hat he had spent several minutes arranging off his head and bowed deeply. "Good evening, Miss Haru."

He moved to readjust his hat, although it was more difficult without a mirror. The gravel crunched as Haru stepped forward and, smiling, straightened it for him.

"You look like one of the musketeers," she said. "It suits you." But then she frowned slightly. "But I think it's missing something."

Glancing around, she reached up and broke a short branch off a Sakura tree draping its blooms over the hedges. Then she tucked the flowering twig into his lapel.

"There," she murmured, smoothing down his collar and sending tingles up his spine. "Now you're perfect." She smiled.

His cheeks turned bright red. "Thank you, Miss Haru." He was so struck by her radiance and closeness he couldn't think of much else to say.

Haru was extraordinarily elegant in her costume of the night. She was dressed in a pale yellow gown that fell in shimmering folds around her, like the petals of the daintiest rose. The lemon bodice emphasized her slender curves, but his eyes did not linger for too long. A frilly collar circled her neck and a piece of sheer fabric wrapped around a wire heart was tucked behind her head. A simple crown in the shape of a fish with one ruby eye rested in the center of her head and it gleamed in the moonlight, much like her bottomless brown eyes he wouldn't mind getting lost in.

"You look…" He struggled to think coherently. "Amazing."

Now it was Haru's turn to resemble a tomato—although she was certainly the most adorable tomato _he_ had ever seen.

"Thank you, Lysander-san."

"So," he cleared his throat and offered his hand, "shall we dance again, Miss Haru?"

Much to his surprise, she shook her head. "Let's just talk tonight. After all, we hardly know each other." She smiled. "I don't think I know more than your name."

Baron cleared his throat. "Well, what would you like to know, Miss Haru?"

Slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, she shrugged. "I don't know. What's your favorite… color?"

"Green."

"And… your favorite… dessert?"

"Angel food cake."

"And… your zodiac?"

Baron stopped in the middle of the path and laughed. "Miss Haru, how are these questions helping you know me better?"

She tilted her head toward the night sky. "Because it's the little things that make a person, you know?" Now she turned her eyes toward him. "If your favorite color is green, you're going to wear green clothes and paint your room green and your every decision, no matter how slight, will be based on the color green."

He felt his pulse begin to quicken. "That's very deep, Miss Haru."

She shrugged again. "Not really. Besides, it was a test."

"What kind of test?"

"To see how much you're willing to handle." Her eyes darted to the gravel. "No matter how ridiculous I act sometimes, I want to know that you're not going to leave me."

Now his heart was beating a tattoo into his chest. "I would never leave you, Miss Haru," he murmured.

Suddenly Baron couldn't imagine a life without Haru in it. He could see the two of them walking hand in hand in a rose garden while discussing books. He would take her in his arms and lead her through a waltz before pausing to kiss her gently. Perhaps little feet would be pattering around their ankles, little faces with their mother's eyes and maybe his nose…

She looked up at him with big, bottomless brown eyes and it was as if the world itself had stopped spinning. The music, the crowd, the colorful lights, even the hedges seemed to disappear as Baron lost himself in her beautiful eyes. His heart was thudding heavily against his chest and he could scarcely breathe. He realized he no longer cared about the contest or Prince Machida or the strange world he found himself in. He was in love with perhaps the loveliest girl in existence, and there was nothing he wanted more than to kiss the most wonderful princess of Athia.

Baron leaned down, expecting to press his furry lips against her own, but Haru turned her head away and he ended up kissing the air.

"What's wrong, Miss Haru?" he asked, hurt that she would reject his affections so pointedly. And he thought everything was going so well…

"I'm sorry Lysander-san," she said softly, "but... there's someone else."

Baron's heart plummeted to his feet. _Please hedges, _he silently pleaded, _swallow me up now._

"You… you love someone else?" he whispered.

Haru nodded mournfully. "I'm so sorry, Lysander-san. I really like you and you _are_ wonderful, but I met him first."

Baron nodded politely, but he was too distracted by his breaking heart to truly pay attention. It felt as if she was kindly mashing his heart with her heal and smashing it into the gravel.

He _knew_ it was too good to be true. Evangeline was wrong. It didn't matter how brave or strong or simply _good _you were; everyone may _deserve_ a happy ending, but not everyone was allowed to receive one.

He hadn't realized she was speaking. Although he was considering climbing into the bushes just to escape the empty ache in his heart, he courteously asked her to repeat herself.

Haru was blushing. "I said the man I love is sweet and kind and a true gentleman. He listens to what I have to say and appreciates my opinion. He likes me for _me_, not my crown or my riches or my sisters. I hope you can understand that."

He tried to smile, but it ended up coming off as a pained grimace. "Of course I can. He sounds…" he swallowed, "wonderful."

With tears in her eyes, Haru turned to go. He wasn't sure why, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Will you tell me his name?" he asked suddenly. For some reason, he felt he couldn't go on living unless he knew the name of the man that had stolen her away.

Haru blush deepened. "I can't pronounce his name," she said demurely, "but he does by his title." She smiled dreamily. "Lysander-san, I'm in love with a man named Baron."

Baron? Did she say…_Baron_? Afraid he hadn't heard her correctly, he asked her. And she nodded, still smiling sweetly.

"He's probably the most perfect man in the world, Lysander-san," she continued. "I've never met anyone like him."

Baron's heart was threatening to go racing right out of his chest. He had never felt so happy in his entire life. Since his family's death, he never believed he would feel so strongly for another person ever again, but now he realized he love this girl with his heart and soul.

And he couldn't believe she felt the same way.

Grinning like an idiot, he grasped her hand excitedly as his shock gave way to pure delight.

"Congratulations!" he said, almost giddy. "I hope he is just as excited as I am for you two. Who wouldn't be excited to find out that the most perfect girl in existence felt every bit as much love for him as he did her? You two will be happy together, I'm sure."

Pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, he dashed out of the maze and down the hall. At the door, he whistled for Toto.

"I'm going back now," he explained quickly as he bounded up the stairs two steps at a time.

Toto tilted his head in confusion. "Right now? But the party isn't over—"

"She loves me Toto!" he practically shouted. "Haru loves me! She turned away Lysander for _me!_" He was laughing with excitement. "She _loves_ me, Toto. I can't believe she loves me."

"But why are you leaving the party early?"

There was a steely glint of determination in his jade eyes. "I have to get the evidence together as quickly as possible so I can tell the emperor and marry her."

He was nearly breathless as he reached the top of the stairs and climbed up through the trapdoor. "And do you know the best part, Toto?" he gasped.

"What?"

Baron smiled broadly, pulling the cloak from his shoulders. "I love her too."

=^^=)-cat

**A/N: **And now for the conclusion of the mystery... Stay tuned!


	19. A Prize

**A/N: **This is a _really _long chapter, but I think you'll enjoy the ending (or at least I hope so!).

* * *

Baron didn't sleep that night. He was simply too excited.

As soon as he had returned to his room, he pulled the Sakura branch from his lapel and kissed it before laying it on his nightstand. He then filled the metal basin with hot water and scrubbed every square inch of his skin squeaky clean.

While toweling his hair dry, he dug through his closet, searching for something suitable to wear. He finally settled on a simple gray suit with a red vest, blue tie, and a top hat—it was similar to what he used to wear in Sunder.

He then tried to sit and read, but he couldn't focus; his hands were shaking too much. So he spent the next few hours pacing the length of his room and preparing his proposal.

When the first rays of watery sunlight fell across his bedspread, Baron was practically jumping up and down with nerves. Once the room was washed in gold, he rubbed his hands together and smiled at Toto, who was perched on the headboard.

"This is it, Toto," he said excitedly, placing the top hat on his head and grabbing his cane. "Wish me luck!"

Toto smiled and waved his wing. "Good luck, Baron."

But Baron had already left, rushing so fast out the door the curtains fluttered in the breeze he left behind.

Toto chuckled and settled down to preen. "You're certainly going to need it."

=^^=)

Baron dashed down the stairs, running so fast he skidded on the polished floor on the landing. He then took two right turns and two left turns and stopped in front of the fourth door along a narrow hallway. Taking a deep breath to try and stop his hands from shaking, he raised his cane and knocked three times.

After five minutes, the door creaked open to reveal the elderly man who had shown Baron his room and called him 'Alexander' on the first day. He was bent over, rubbing his eyes, and wearing bright red silk pajamas.

"What on God's green earth could you _possibly _want this early in the morning?" he grumbled, running his fingers through his short gray hair.

Baron bowed before the old man, holding his hat to his chest. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir," he began, "but I was hoping you could arrange an audience with the emperor for me."

The man stopped rubbing his eyes. "What for?" he asked.

Daring to raise his eyes, he flashed the old man a grin. "I've solved the mystery of the shredded dance slippers, sir."

Realization took a moment to dawn on his face, but once it did he was yanking Baron to his feet and hugging him. "Oh thank God, thank God," he kept muttering, ruffling the hair Baron had spent at least twenty minutes combing just right.

When he pulled back, he was beaming. "I was hoping you'd solve it, my boy," he continued, "and oust that obnoxious prince. No one likes him, you know."

Baron couldn't help but laugh. "I know, sir."

"Kenji, boy," the old man said, clapping Baron on the shoulder. "Now, you said something about an audience with His Majesty?"

"I did, yes."

"It will probably take an hour for His Majesty and the princesses to prepare themselves to see you."

Baron smiled. "As long as I can see them before His Majesty banishes me."

"Of course, of course." Kenji moved to close the door, but he paused. "I knew I liked you, boy. I wish you luck."

He tipped his top hat. "Thank you, sir."

=^^=)

Emperor Ryoko rubbed his eyes tiredly. Machida leaned back in his chair, looking smug. Three of the princesses yawned simultaneously, covering their mouths with dainty hands. Not Haru. She sat upright, absently scratching Muta behind the ears. But they were all gazing steadfastly at the man standing in the center of the room.

Baron cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. "Your Majesty," he began formally, pacing in front of his captive audience, "I would like to describe your daughters' activities for the past five nights. Please feel free to correct me," he looked pointedly at the princesses, "should I make a mistake or forget any details.

"Once you return to your room, Your Majesty, the princesses get up and dress for a ball. When they are ready, they pull on a candlestick, which triggers a trap door to open in the floor. They climb down a long flight of dark stairs and pass through an entire forest of Sakura trees before they reach a lake. There, four cats sit in four boats and wait to row the princesses across the lake to a castle on the other shore." He paused and arched a golden eyebrow. "Am I going too fast, Your Majesties?"

Ryoko shook his head. He and his four daughters sat entranced by his incredible story. The only sound came from Muta purring in Haru's lap.

Baron resumed pacing. "While rowing across the lake, the princesses undergo a very _unique_ transformation. By the time they reach the opposite shore, all four princesses have changed into cats, complete with pointed ears, whiskers, and tails. They have, of course, reached the kingdom of Feles, which is a strictly feline kingdom soon to be ruled by Crown Prince Lune. They then spend the night dancing among the other cats present. I have proof of their nightly visits."

All eyes shifted to his top hat as Baron proceeded to extract a small flowered branch from the brim. Stepping forward, he presented the Sakura branch to the emperor.

"One of the princesses was kind enough to give me this," he stated, peering at Haru out of the corner of his eye. "A Sakura tree branch in full bloom, which is impossible to obtain in Athia in the middle of summer."

Ryoko accepted the branch with shaking hands as Haru's face began to turn pink. "Oh my God," he murmured.

"That was a pretty story, Baron von Gikkingen." All eyes suddenly swerved to Prince Machida, who had risen out of his chair and was casually approaching Baron. "But that was all it was—a _story_."

Baron straightened and narrowed his eyes. "And how do you propose to support your claim, Your Highness? Unless you have proof—"

"Oh, but I _do_." Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a gold spoon, which he passed to the emperor. "_That_ spoon is stamped with the royal seal of Feles. See, Baron-san?" he sneered at the blonde man. "My proof is _just_ as good as yours."

Ryoko looked from one man to the other, his brow wrinkling in confusion. "Baron-san," he asked quietly, "do you have any _other_ evidence to support your story?"

Baron racked his brain, searching for something, _anything _that could possibly prove his point. He was almost certain that Machida had broken into his room and stolen the spoon, but the princesses couldn't deny the seal any more than he could…

And suddenly, the answer was crystal-clear. Tucking his top hat under his arm, he strode boldly toward Princess Haru, whose face was rapidly darkening.

"Every night, Princess Haru would wander through a maze behind the castle," he said as he dropped to his knees before her, "until five nights ago, when she met another cat there. He introduced himself as Lysander Garrington, the eldest son of the Duke of Lye."

He reached for her hand.

"He taught her to dance and made her smile and laugh. Last night, she gave him something. A Sakura branch that she tucked into his lapel." Warily, he lifted his eyes until he was gazing into hers. By now her face was completely scarlet, but realization was slowly dawning in her eyes.

"It was you," she whispered. "All this time… it was _you_."

All eyes had fallen on the couple, although only two could truly say they were surprised by the information. The three princesses exchanged knowing looks and sly giggles. Ryoko's face gradually turned pink from surprise.

Only Machida seemed truly shocked and unduly angry at Haru's red face and Baron's blissful smile.

"Enough!" he yelled suddenly, hurdling out of his chair and drawing his sword. Striding across the room, he pointed his sword at Baron's chest.

"Fight me, _peasant_," he declared heatedly.

Now Haru's face colored for a different reason. "What's wrong with you, Machida?" she shouted indignantly, still clasping Baron's hand. "Didn't your tutor teach you _any—_"

"It's all right, Haru," Baron said calmly, patting her hand. "If His Highness wants to duel, then I am obligated to accommodate him." Kissing her knuckles and enjoying the adorable blush that overcame her angry one, he accepted the sword Kenji offered him.

The two men moved to stand in the center of the room, the Athian royal family watching with bated breath. Baron heard Haru whisper angrily, "_Do _something, Father!" but the emperor was too enthralled in the events unfolding in his throne room to acknowledge her.

Raising the sword above his head, Baron watched Machida aim his directly at his chest. Again, he raised an eyebrow. "Your move, Highness."

With a zealous battle cry, Machida charged the blonde-haired noble. Baron wasn't worried.

_Thank you for the fencing lessons, Father_, he thought gratefully as he easily discerned Machida's weakness. With a few flicks of the wrist, Baron casually sliced the air, spun around his opponent, and stopped, facing the opposite wall.

Machida turned around and was about to charge Baron again when his clothes fell in tattered shreds around his feet. Dropping his sword with a decidedly unmanly squeal, he attempted to cover himself, but it was too late. All four princesses—and even the emperor—were struggling not to laugh at his embarrassing defeat.

"See?" Baron smirked. "Nothing to worry about, Haru."

Once the emperor regained control over his laughter, he cleared his throat and straightened up in his throne, although his crown still tilted precariously on his head.

"I think it's clear who the winner of the contest is," he said, nodding at Baron. "Prince Machida of Bodair, because you failed to solve the mystery of my daughters' nightly jaunts, you are henceforth banished from the capital. Kenji-san will escort you out."

"I already put his things in a carriage, Your Majesty," Kenji remarked, winking at Baron.

Rendered both embarrassed and speechless, Machida gathered up his torn clothes and abandoned sword and trudged out of the throne room.

Ryoko turned his attention back to Baron. "Well Baron-san, I suppose you've won the contest. Unless my daughters want to correct me?"

The four princesses shook their heads fervently.

"Then I suppose you can choose your prize: one of my daughters for a bride."

Baron looked to the four attractive girls, but his gaze only lingered on one. Again stepping toward her, he slowly sank to his knees in front of the youngest princess.

"I never did finish my story," he began, "about Princess Haru and Lysander."

Haru seemed to hold her breath as they interlocked fingers again.

"The princess confessed something to Lysander last night," he continued, although his voice had dropped so only the two of them could hear. "She told him she was in love with a man who was sweet and kind and that she had met first. And she said his name was—"

"Baron," she finished breathlessly. "His name is Baron."

With her admission, he could hardly contain his excitement anymore. "Haru, will you marry me?"

Haru couldn't jump out of her chair fast enough. Throwing her arms around his neck, she pressed her lips to his amidst the gasps of her sisters and stuttered sentences of her father.

When she pulled back from the kiss, she smiled up into his brilliant jade eyes. "I thought you'd never ask."

=^^=)-cat

**A/N: **Last chapter is up next!


	20. A Dance

"How did His Majesty take it?"

"Surprisingly well. He was all right with Prince Tsuge and he didn't pass out when Princess Yuki told him about Prince Lune, what with him being a cat and all."

"Hmm." Evangeline lifted up the smoky ball and spun it in the palm of her hand. "And Baron?"

Toto hopped to her shoulder. "See for yourself," he said, tapping the crystal with his beak.

The glass cleared, revealing a couple twirling around on a polished wood floor. The woman was all in white, her partner in black. Tapping the ball with a long red nail, the image zoomed in until the man and woman's faces filled the glass entirely.

It was Baron and Haru, smiling adorably at each other as they waltzed across the room. Baron tipped her in a very low dip before bringing her back up and lifting her in the air. She was laughing.

As he lowered her back to earth, she cupped his face in her hands and smiled. Unwrapping one arm from her waist, he tipped her chin down and kissed her. There was the faint sound of applause in the background, and when they drew apart the couple leaned their foreheads together.

_I love you_, Baron mouthed, closing his eyes.

_I love you too_, Haru replied, hugging her new husband.

"I told you so, Baron," Evangeline whispered. "Everyone deserves a happy ending, even you."

She leaned back as the ball zoomed out and clouded up again. Smiling, she brushed her fingers along Toto's feathers. "Good job, Toto," she murmured, lightly kissing his head.

=^^=)

"Did you hear that?"

Haru opened her eyes and looked up into her husband's jade green ones. "Hear what?"

Baron shook his head. "It must be my imagination," he murmured.

"What was it?" she asked, her forehead crinkling in concern.

He smiled. "I thought I heard someone say, 'I told you so.'" He squeezed his wife's waist. "But like I said, it must have been my imagination."

Haru giggled. "Should I be concerned for your sanity?"

"Because I'm hearing voices? Possibly."

She kissed his nose. "That's okay. I bet you're cute in a straightjacket."

Baron rolled his eyes. "That is surprisingly _un_comforting, my dear."

"Well, 'till death do us part,' right?"

He grinned. "Right."

=^^=)-cat

**A/N: **That was really short... Well, I hope you enjoyed this incredibly long adventure (sorry it took so long!) and thanks for sticking with me! I love reviews, good or bad, check out some of my other stories, and stick around for future stories! :)


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